Maryland football 2024 spring ball preview: offensive line

Maryland is set to open spring ball on Tuesday, March 26 as head coach Mike Locksley and his staff have several new faces looking to step into impact roles. We break down where Maryland’s offensive line room stands heading into the spring.

Returning

rFR G Deandre Duffus
rSR G/T Marcus Dumervil
JR G/T Kevin Kalonji
rSO G Kyle Long
rSO T Andre Roye
rFR C Tamarus Walker

Portal Additions

rSO G Aliou Bah
JR T Alan Herron
rSR C Josh Kaltenberger

New Faces

G Logan Bennett
G Ryan Howerton

Spring Projection

LT: Andre Roye/Conor Fagan
LG: Kyle Long/Marcus Dumervil
C: Josh Kaltenberger/Tamarus Walker
RG: Aliou Bah/Deandre Duffus
RT: Alan Herron/Kevin Kalonji

Where they stand

Heading into the season, Maryland’s biggest remaining roster need is another experienced tackle to replace one of two vacant starting spots at tackle. Flipping Shorter (D2) OT Alan Herron from Penn State on signing day was a big deal for Maryland as position coach Brian Braswell tapped into his connections to add an impact starter. Whether Herron lines up on the right or left side is fluid and isn’t a decision expected to be made during spring ball with the portal need still lingering. While fall camp will give the starting unit a chance to develop chemistry, spring ball will give the unit a chance to mesh together.

Herron is someone who’s drawn ample confidence since his signing and now, getting up to speed of Big Ten football will be the next step for the 6-foot-5, 317-pound lineman who projects as a starting tackle. Whether third-year tackle Andre Roye can build off a 2023 season where he flashed in four games, especially vs. Ohio State, could take stress off the biggest remaining need this spring. After reframing his body as a freshman and then adding upper body strength through 2023, Roye enters the spring as the biggest X-factor in the unit with a chance to become a dependable tackle for Brian Braswell’s group.

Maryland also added Aliou Bah from the transfer portal to compete for a starting guard spot where he enters the spring with buzz as the next starter, and it was Bah who was the first portal addition to pick up good feedback on the field. The former Georgia OL was among the new additions who worked out with the Terps during bowl practices down in Nashville and drew quick praise for his athleticism, even flashing as a potential tackle, as a 6-foot-5, 320-pound lineman. Opposite of Bah could be veteran Kyle Long, the lone familiar face with starting experience. The Missouri native started in six games and appeared in five more in 2023 and was the one who consistently pushed Amelio Moran as the fifth and final starter through the entirety of last offseason. The confidence in the now-veteran lineman gives the interior unit another experienced piece in the starting unit, though it’ll be redshirt senior Marcus Dumervil who will look to change that in the spring as he looks to carve a role in his second season with the program. Second-year guard Deandre Duffus, meanwhile, has stuck out in his first season with the program while Kevin Kalonji’s versatility as a guard or tackle could come in handy with depth in the spring. Meanwhile, a pair of true freshmen will hit the field for the first time as Terps as Ryan Howerton and Logan Bennett—who both project as guards—begin their journey to rebuild the future offensive line with Howerton hitting the ground running and Bennett bouncing back from injury during his senior year.

A pair of visits from former Purdue IOL Josh Kaltenberger filled a big need for Maryland, who pounced quickly to host him for a one-day official visit. It was Kaltenberger’s second visit to campus, a quick unofficial visit, that pushed the Terps over the edge to secure its likely starting center. Kaltenberger’s signing was announced after admission into his graduate program, but he’s been inside Jones-Hill House since late December where he can comfortably anchor the unit and takes over a position that was split between Aric Harris and Mike Purcell a season ago, a key point for confidence why the interior offensive line can be better in 2024 than 2023. And with Kaltenberger likely manning the position in 2024, that gives Tamarus Walker another season of development as likely the unit’s eventual starting center.

While the upcoming quarterback battle remains the biggest storyline this spring, the development of the offensive line isn’t far behind as Maryland looks to improve upon the 23 sacks allowed in conference play last season. A source told IBG that longtime position coach Juan Castillo was helping with offseason film review before becoming the new OL coach at UCLA on Monday, a practice that’s become more common through the six seasons under Mike Locksley. With the offensive line almost complete, Maryland will now look to develop its next unit as Long, Bah and Herron look to become multi-year starters in the trenches.

Maryland football 2024 spring ball preview: offensive line

Ahmed Ghafir