The Terps ended the season on a high note and finished the season with an 8-5 record. After several key players departed for the 2023 NFL Draft while the transfer portal giveth and taketh, we will take a look at the underclassmen Terps fans should look forward to seeing the most this spring.
With Johari Branch leaving for the draft, it will open up a battle at center between Aric Harris and Deery for the starting center spot on the Terps’ revamped offensive line this spring. Deery, was a true freshman last season out of Malvern Prep in PA and appeared in 10 games for the Terps last season with two starts coming in when Mason Lunsford was out with a concussion. Aric Harris first came in as a JuCo transfer from Hutchinson Community College and appeared in 11 of 13 games in the 2021 season. But in 2022, Branch took over the starting center job over Harris. With the position now back open, Deery and Harris will both be looking to cement themselves into the starting center role this spring which is a big reason Deery is not on the wrestling team this winter which he originally planned to do so. While Maryland irons out its starting guard spots, look for the center battle to be one of the biggest battles this spring.
The Terps had a running back-by-committee approach last season using Roman Hemby, Antwain Littleton, Colby McDonald, and Brown. With Brown now in his second year under the offense, it can be easily expected that he will have a larger role in the offense this spring. Brown appeared in 11 games for the Terps last season, carrying the ball 34 times for 112 yards. Brown also added eight receptions for 40 yards last season as well. With no running backs leaving in the portal in the first window after the season, it will be a big competition to see who will step up in the room this spring. However, with running backs coach Eliah Brooks leaving for Virginia Tech right before spring ball starts, it will be interesting to see who coach Locksley brings in to coach up the room. And with a new coach, the former blue-chip running back will get a chance to impress his new position coach this spring.
Manning is a three-star recruit that is an early enrollee out of St. Frances Academy. But even earlier than normal–the local receiver began practicing with Maryland the day after signing in December. Since then, Manning has been turning heads and impressing the coaching staff ever since he arrived on campus for bowl game practices. With Jacob Copeland, Dontay Demus, and Rakim Jarrett moving on to the draft, it opened up holes in the wide receiver room for the upcoming spring. But with the additions of Tyrese Chambers and Kaden Prather, it filled some holes in the room. The Terps are known for using a large plethora of receivers in order to give them experience early on in case they need to step up sooner than expected. This will give younger guys such as Manning a large chance to get a lot of playing time. With Manning being one of the many new receivers, it will be interesting to see just how much of a role Manning has this spring. If Manning is to keep impressing the coaching staff, it can be expected that he can have a larger role than most would probably expect out of a three-star recruit in his first spring ball camp.
The first spring practice for the Terps begins next Tuesday, March 28th. They will have a month to see who will be in what roles before the spring game on April 29th.
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