Veteran Lineman Explains Return to Program

After the 2020 season, veteran defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu had to decide whether he’d give the NFL serious consideration or return to College Park for one more season. It didn’t take long for the 6-foot-1 former juco lineman to make his decision, announcing his official return to the program back in December to help the Terps maintain their senior presence along the defensive line.

Now, Okuayinonu returns as the expected starting defensive end where alongside Ami Finau and Mosiah Nasili Kite, the Terps’ defensive line hopes to take the next step forward. The return of Okuayinonu adds to the confidence in Maryland’s defensive line but in the words of the senior lineman, the decision to return was a much easier call with the presence of defensive line coach Brian Williams.

“Just working with him in that short amount of time, we only had five games and seeing how much I developed,” Okuayinonu said. “I got switched to a different position too and trying to learn all that and in the span of five games, it was pretty hard but he was always there helping me out, breaking it down and simplifying it so as the season went on I picked it up faster and faster.”

Williams has been a key recruiter during his three seasons with the Terps, but the Florida native has also commanded respect from the players as he’s gradually ascended through the ranks within the program. While Williams was the primary recruiter for guys like Branden Jennings, Ruben Hyppolite, Terrence Lewis, and Darrell Jackson, Okuayinonu admitted Williams’ personable touch with his players has built trust through his time in College Park. “He’s really someone you can talk to. He’s a good person on and off the field, genuinely the person that if you’re going through something hard and it’s something you don’t want others to know, I can call him and talk to him. That was really big having that as a coach because my previous coach, I didn’t feel I could do that with him but with Brian Williams, oh man. When he speaks, you listen. He’s one of those people who has a very commanding voice and he breaks down the gameplan, basically tells you what you’re supposed to do and why you’re doing it. He just breaks the game down to a level where you understand it fully.”

The full offseason to settle in as the defensive tackle adds to the confidence that the Terps’ front seven is vastly improved compared to 2019 when head coach Mike Locksley returned to College Park. While Williams is set to share defensive coordinator responsibilities with first-year assistant Brian Stewart, Okuayinonu is looking for consistent play to translate to the stat sheet. “Another reason was I wanted to truly develop, I didn’t feel I was ready last year. We didn’t have as many games as I wanted so I wasn’t able to put up the numbers that I wanted to put up but this year, we have a full schedule and a healthy d line. It’s going to be a good season.”

Okuayinonu’s optimism heading into the first practice of fall camp was a sentiment shared by many of his veteran teammates during Friday’s media day, with players citing the clear shift in the program’s culture as reason why the Terps have laid the foundation for a breakthrough 2021 season. While Locksley reiterated the team is ready to shed any talk of ‘potential’ success, Okuayinonu admitted the clear goal for the defensive line this season.

“Dominate. Dominate the guys across from me from the first quarter to the fourth quarter. I want to see them quit and take the life out of them. This year, our d-line is going to be so solid because of the chemistry we have and like you said, we have a lot of depth and competition. When you push yourself to better the person behind you, you’re getting better yourself. That same time, we don’t care about individual accolades.”

“It’s all about what’s best for the team and taking care of our assignments so everybody eats.”

Okuayinonu totaled 12 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, including 0.5 sacks, in the five games last season.

Maryland opens the season on September 4 at 3:30 PM against West Virginia.