As Maryland closes out the final days of fall camp, head coach Mike Locksley said the team will receive scouting reports on Thursday as the next phase of game prep begins. While Maryland has utilized camp to iron out the depth chart, the team is about one week into play installation as the Terps are ten days out from the first game of the 2021 season.
“We take a period or two out of the last couple of practices that focus on West Virginia,” head coach Mike Locksley said on Wednesday. “On Thursday, though, is when we'll issue scouting reports and we'll start some of our West Virginia prep and you know how scout team looks but you know, we've had a summer scouting report on those guys, and really good team and well-coached. But we've been able to steal a couple of periods in the last two or three practices, where we've done some scout exchange to work on, you know, some of the fundamental things that they do.”
Maryland has been fortunate to avoid the season-ending injuries through the first two weeks of camp, but a pair of Terps were not available for Wednesday’s practice. Locksley revealed that running back Peny Boone is expected to return on Thursday from concussion protocol, while wide receiver Jeshaun Jones “has been nursing some hamstring stuff,” but added he’s expected to return ahead of the season-opener. “Jeshaun has been one of those guys, that's kind of dealt with some lower leg injuries or extremity stuff and there won't be any issues with him.”
There was one notable position switch this past week as former lineman Austin Fontaine officially made the switch to tight end, eliminating him from the offensive line shuffle as the veteran gives the unit another “great blocker in the C gap area.” Fontaine joins Malik Jackson as a key blocking tight end in the room, while the development of Corey Dyches alongside freshmen Weston Wolff and CJ Dippre provides ample excitement around the room. With the Terps set to roll out two tight end sets in their offensive attack this fall, the depth at the position now adds a dynamic to the room that fans have arguably not enjoyed in years. “Just the way we run our offense, we’ll always have multiple personnel groupings and tight ends is one of those position groups that I found to be very effective. And when we have those position, that position field like we do now, it opens up the offense a lot more because those guys are where some of the matchup issues happen.”
The confidence that Locksley expressed in his tight ends was spread across the roster as the defensive line, defensive backs, wide receivers, and running backs were all praised. But the one unit that continues to draw an area of concern is along the offensive line after the staff shuffled the rotation to identify the five starters. With the starting unit now taking form, Locksley again cited the lack of depth heading into the fall.
All of them except [offensive] line and that's kind of for me been the concern because not that they haven’t stood out, that's the one area where we still have some depth issues and have got to address those via recruiting and, you know, continuing to develop some of the younger players. That's the one position where they really don't, you know, come off the yellow school bus and roll in here and be able to line up and play and so we'll just keep bringing those guys along. Coach Braswell has done a great job with it, feel good about you know, eight to nine of those guys and gotta keep bringing some of those other guys young players along.”