Six takeaways as BTN crew visits Maryland football for fall practice

Maryland football is just over one week into camp and in addition to opening Thursday’s practice to local media, the BTN crew made their way to College Park as Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith shared their thoughts on the 2023 squad. We look at the six biggest takeaways:

Locksley notes team’s effort through first ten practices With scouts from the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys in attendance for Thursday’s practice, Maryland wrapped up its ninth practice of fall camp on Thursday as head coach Mike Locksley shared what sticks out about his 2023 team so far. “We’re in week two which is kind of when you start hitting those dog days of camp where everything, you’re a little banged up, you’re tired, I’ve got my coach’s voice going. I’ve really liked the way we’ve pushed through and the effort that we’ve gotten. We haven’t had the heat that I’d like to see of kind of have to work in to acclimate, but I’ve been really pleased with the effort that the guys have given thus far through ten practices.” Maryland is set for their first scrimmage this weekend, but all eyes are in the trenches as the BTN crew took a deep dive on both sides of the ball.

Offensive line remains “a ways away” While Maryland returns its entire running back room and did well restocking a lethal wide receiver room, all eyes are on the offensive line as the different combinations continued into the tenth practice of fall camp. Aric Harris ran with the first-team during the open portion of Thursday’s camp, the same unit he worked with on the first day of camp, but the depth remains a work in progress. “Howard and I were talking to Locks, they’re nowhere near the number he wants. He wants to be four-deep. I don’t know today they can be three-deep,” DiNardo said. “They look athletic, they look like they’re coachable and they’re certainly all working hard and again go back to a schedule that allows them to develop beyond camp.” DJ Glaze returns to anchor the offensive line, but Maryland has stayed patient to find what the eventual starting five looks like. “We’re trying to find the best five guys,” Locksley added. “Right now, we think we’ve got 12 guys that have the ability to play some winning football and what we’ve got to do is find out who the best five are. Because of the versatility that some of these guys offer us, making sure we have them in the right locations. I’d say upfront is where a lot of the questions are for us.” The BTN crew, however, noted how Maryland’s September slate could give the unit more chances to find its groove. “That gives them an opportunity, with that schedule, to get game experience is what they’re going to need,” Griffith added. “…To have these offensive linemen go against a competitive defensive line, it’s going to help that process but still ultimately they need the game experience and they’ll be able to get that early.”

How does the OL’s progress impact QB Taulia Tagovailoa? The BTN crew noted Maryland’s deep wide receiver room, but getting the ball out cleanly will be under the microscope this fall. While Gerry DiNardo was bearish on Maryland’s depth in the trenches, Maryland’s new-look upfront will test Taulia Tagovailoa outside of the pocket. “One of the things you love about Lia is he breaks the pocket and makes the play and that’s one of the things that you really worry about. When you match someone like Lia who can scramble and make a play with an inexperienced line, you’ve got to hope he has patience. There’s nothing wrong with an incomplete pass. But if Lia is going to scramble more than he has because of an inexperienced line, I’m assuming there will be more pressure…when he’s out on the perimeter he’s really got to make good decisions.” After allowing the most sacks in the Big Ten last season, Locksley and Braswell will look to turn the tide as the frequent in-game rotations in years past are what keep Maryland confident in his returners. “We’ve been really fortunate that though we lost three or four starters off of last year’s line, we rotate a bunch of guys and guys like Amelio Moran and Aric Harris, both are guys that played some football for us a year ago and at least enough to where they have some game experience and they can both can move themselves in the position to create a role for themselves. been really happy with the transfers, the guys that came in and we were able to get some guys in here for spring practice…guys like Gotti , Corey Bullock as well as Mike Purcell, those three guys, and Dumervil, are guys who have contributed. Now it’s a matter of the chemistry and making sure we get the best five out there in the right places.” https://twitter.com/BTNDaveRevsine/status/1689758564288475136

Confidence despite turnover along the defensive line The offensive line isn’t the only unit with a new feel with the defensive line tasked with replacing its three starters, but there’s a reason there’s a sense of confidence surrounding the unit. “Tommy Akingbesote and Taizse Johnson both have stepped up now from backup roles where they backed up and played meaningful minutes behind Ami Finau, Mo Kite and those types of players,” Locksley added. “I really like the leadership that they’ve given us.” Jordan Phillips and Tre Colbert give the rotation experience with Phillips providing “excitement” with Colbert giving the room veteran depth in the rotation. “ has a motor, really powerful strong guy. Tre Colbert is a guy we brought from Division II ranks, really strong, stout guy that gives us more size on the inside. I’ve been really happy with the pass-rush ability that a guy like Donnell Brown brings to the table for us as well.” https://twitter.com/BTNDaveRevsine/status/1689757943367962624

Defense set for year two under DC Brian Williams While DiNardo admitted he felt the defensive line is “not great up front, not deep up front,” he complemented the rest of the defense by adding the linebackers and secondary "are in good shape." Maryland returns several key pieces from a 2022 defense that made significant strides through Big Ten play, notably with its second-half defense. Linebacker Jaishawn Barham was selected to the Butkus Award Watch List on Thursday as he, safeties Beau Brade and Dante Trader along with veteran linebackers Fa’Najae Gotay and Ruben Hyppolite lead an experienced defense but the emphasis this fall is around creating turnovers. “I expect our defense to take the next step and for us, the next step is finding a way to create those disaster plays,” Locksley added. “We didn’t come up with enough turnovers a year ago, we didn’t affect the quarterback enough in terms of the sacks and the pressure. What we did do is play really sound, drop eight when we needed to, sound coverage and were able to really stop the run. but now I’d like to see us take the next step with getting our hands on a few balls.” While Jakorian Bennett and Deonte Banks were pass-breakup machines, the secondary will look to replace their production after registering just five interceptions during conference play. Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Brian Williams emphasized the “short yardage situations in some big games” as an emphasis through the offseason. “Offsides on 3rd-and-4 in the Ohio State game, in a critical point in the game. Just some of the mistakes we made, turning some guys loose in the Penn State game. Those things come to mind, just really not tackling well at times but really short yardage situations is something we really spent a lot of time on in the spring. Just hoping our guys understand different formations when it gets tight like that, the backs have a chance to bounce the ball outside, so we’ve really got to be focused and locked in on doing our jobs.”

Favorable September slate for Maryland aids development While Maryland takes time to work on the offensive side of the trenches, the BTN crew took the obvious approach to what the start of the season means for Mike Locksley’s team in year five. Maryland opens at SECU Stadium against Towson, Charlotte and Virginia before traveling to Michigan State for the conference opener. The Spartans present their own intrigue heading into the Big Ten season, but Maryland then returns home against Indiana. With a viable chance at an undefeated start heading into the Oct. 7 matchup vs. Ohio State, Maryland has a chance to create its own momentum heading into the heart of its Big Ten schedule. “It starts with getting off to a fast start against a Towson team that we don’t have a lot of information on and then building on that,” head coach Mike Locksley said. “We’ve got to continue to take this thing one game at a time. You don’t build on what you did last year. You’ve got to knock it all down I’ve said before, and it starts with the habits and behaviors in the locker room, the type of culture and then making sure our players understand that to win in the Big Ten, we’ve got to be a disciplined team.”

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