Offensive Depth Chart Coming Together For Maryland
One week from this Saturday, the most tumultuous offseason in Maryland football history will finally come to a close. For fans, students, alumni, players, coaches and administrators, this past year has been incredibly difficult. First it was the horrendous season, which saw the Terps go 2-10 overall and 1-7 in ACC play. The first game of the season provided the only conference win against a Miami squad which seemed to have about 75% of their starters suspended. The other win came against Towson, which plays in the FCS level. The last game of the season, against North Carolina State, essentially summarized the luck of the Terps throughout the season as Maryland blew a 41-14 lead. Then after the season the football team was constantly in the headlines with players deciding to leave the program, most notably 2010 ACC Freshman of the Year quarterback Danny O’Brien (who left for Wisconsin), and multi-year starter along the offensive line R.J. Dill (Rutgers). Oh, and the fan base consistently clashed over the coaching tactics of 2nd year man Randy Edsall. Not a lot went right.
Well, one week from this Saturday, all the horror from this past year is officially over, and optimism is abundant around College Park. The depth chart for the Terps offense is slowly coming together, but injuries and attrition have taken its toll. The presumed starting quarterback for this season, C.J. Brown, tore his ACL and will be out for the entire season. So now there will be a three man battle to decide who will be under center for the season opener. The contestants of this competition will be true freshmen Perry Hills and Caleb Rowe, as well as redshirt sophomore Devin Burns, who played wide receiver last season. Hills and Rowe are both pro-style passers while Burns is a fantastic athlete who has the running capabilities of Brown. Hills seems to have a slight lead right now, as he has been taking reps with the first team and ran with the 1’s during the latest scrimmage.
There isn’t a lot of experience coming back with the crop of running backs. Right now Justus Pickett, who had 274 yards rushing last year and was excellent as a kick returner, has the edge for the number one spot. He is a quick and explosive back at a slightly undersized 5’10’’ and 185lbs. Brandon Ross and true freshman Wes Brown will be vying for carries as well. Kevin Dorsey and Kerry Boykins will lead the receiving corps again this fall, and both hope to put up better numbers. Dorsey led the Terps with 45 receptions for 573 yards and 3 touchdowns. The wild card will be super frosh Stefon Diggs, the all-world recruit who bucked the trend of big time Maryland recruits leaving the state for bigger and better things. Diggs has looked terrific so far in camp, but hasn’t been going against the number one defense. There’s no question though, Diggs is the future of the position, and could very easily be starting by mid-season. Tight end Matt Furstenburg has all-league potential and will be a solid safety valve for whichever of the inexperienced quarterbacks is under center.
The offensive line features two seniors, two juniors and a sophomore, so theoretically there should be a lot of experience. If only it were that simple. The Terps are replacing three starters, two of whom decided on transferring. Nick Klemm has been running with the first team at left tackle, and senior Justin Gilbert at right tackle. Gilbert used to start on the left side but two knee injuries have curtailed his progress. Bennett Fulper looks locked in at left guard, and he is the most experienced lineman on the team with 22 starts in his career, including some at center. De’Onte Arnett has a slight lead over Josh Cary at right guard, which is a little surprising considering Cary’s starting experience. Center Sal Conaboy is the youngster of the group as the sophomore, and looked good starting the last two games of last season.
One week from this Saturday, on September 1st 2012, the Maryland Terrapins open the season at Byrd Stadium in College Park, against William and Mary. The Terps should be heavily favored to win this game, and the offense, under new coordinator Mike Locksley, should roll right through the Tribe. But the Terps still have to actually perform. They will need this win badly, not only for the fractured fan base, but for the spirit of this young team.
