Maryland football inching toward a finalized offensive line in 2024
- Ahmed Ghafir
- May 13, 2024
- 2 min read
Arguably no position has been under the microscope more than the offensive line under Mike Locksley as the staff has put a premium on upgrading the trenches with bigger linemen to remain competitive in the ever-changing Big Ten. After turning to the portal following the 2023 season to land three likely starters for the upcoming season, Maryland scoured the transfer portal for at least one more as they inch closer to finalizing their starting five. Former Buffalo offensive lineman Isaiah Wright took an official visit to College Park this weekend where Maryland was able to roll out the red carpet and sell their NFL development plan under Brian Braswell while playing the position he wants--tackle. With confidence high coming out of the visit and Maryland trending coming out of the visit, Wright has been upgraded on the portal board to 'hot' as Maryland is nearly wrapped up in the portal this spring. In College Park, left tackle is the big void along the Terps' offensive line and Wright graded as a viable replacement after he spent his first 13 consecutive games lining up as Buffalo's blindside blocker. It's a seamless fit for the Big Ten bounceback who measured in at 6-foot-4.75, 308-pounds during his visit to Maryland. With a decision expected on the horizon, Braswell and assistant OL coach Damian Wroblewski can trot out a starting five with every starter at least 6-foot-4, 300-pounds plus in the trenches. So what happens for the rest of the offensive line? Alan Herron projects to remain at right tackle where he took reps through the spring, flashing NFL potential with his two seasons of eligibility remaining. Aliou Bah and Josh Kaltenberger likely remain at right guard and center, while Kyle Long is in line to remain the lone returner with starting experience in the trenches. While Maryland awaits an announcement from Wright heading into the summer period with an expected June arrival, the offense will now shift gears and look ahead to finalizing its offensive line. With Billy Edwards Jr and MJ Morris battling for the starting job into the summer, now comes time for Maryland's offensive line coaches to upgrade a unit that sat in the middle of the pack in sacks allowed in 2023. Of course, Maryland's commitment to creating a more efficient run game starts with the offensive line after struggling in run blocking through the 2023 season. Whether Maryland can do so in 2024 remains to be seen as Wroblewski and senior analyst Brian Ferentz look to add to the offensive staff's gameplan heading into the fall. But with this weekend's visit now wrapped up, Maryland has given itself a chance to address one of its biggest questions. Related Links
