March 31, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The following is the third in a four-part series to run the remainder of this week on the Maryland football team as it approaches its annual spring session in College Park. With the Terrapins' first practice slated for Saturday morning, today's focus will be on the defense in general, defensive line and linebackers.
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DEFENSE
The names and faces have changed in four years under defensive coordinator Gary Blackney, but the team's success in keeping opponents out of the end zone has not.
Last season, the Terps' defense had very few moments where it could not stake claim to being one of the better units in the league, if not the country. The Terrapins replaced three of four starters in the defensive backfield (all three of whom ended up in NFL camps) and a player in Randy Starks on the defensive line who ended up being one of the best defensive rookies in the National Football League last year. The result - a unit that ranked eight nationally against the pass, 21st in average yards allowed and 27th in scoring defense.
The team's top defender, D'Qwell Jackson, returns for his senior year and is expected to be on nearly everyone's All-American list. Surrounding him are returnees at linebacker, at least two new faces on the defensive line and three new starters in the defensive backfield. There will be some questions that need to be answered in the spring and fall, but the Terp defensive unit again looks like it will be a force to be reckoned with in 2005.
Defensive Line
The Terrapin defensive front will have a good deal of competition in the spring, namely at the end spots following the loss of rush end Kevin Eli and drop end Shawne Merriman. Both players were very productive the last two years and will be tough to replace, but the Terps have a number of talented candidates lined up as successors.
At the rush end spot, sophomore Omarr Savage will get his chance to take over for Eli. Savage is long, lean, athletic and has very long arms which help him get off blocks quickly. He looked good rushing the passer in limited playing time last year and has started to play with better leverage, one problem he had to work on early in his career at Maryland. His primary challenger in the spring will be redshirt freshman Mack Frost, a player with almost an identical build who will be getting his first real good look after learning the ropes as a freshman. In the fall, three other newcomers - Melvin Alaeze, Dwight Galt and Jared Harrell - will also work their way in at the position, giving the team a number of different options.
On the opposite side, sophomore Jermaine Lemons and redshirt freshman Trey Covington will be the primary candidates for the starting job in the spring. The contrast between the two is very similar to that between Jamahl Cochran and Merriman a few years ago with Lemons being the player whose strength is playing the run while Covington is very good at getting up field and probably being a little better in coverage.
On the inside, junior Conrad Bolston returns at defensive tackle after starting in all but one game last year. Bolston has improved with each season and now just in his third year, looks like a consistent, blue-collar veteran at tackle. Second-year player Jack Griffin played well in his first year, unexpectedly working his way into the lineup as a true freshman and will start off spring as the backup behind Bolston, giving the Terrapins a nice one-two punch.
Junior Rob Armstrong is questionable to play in the spring due to an injured back and that leaves sophomore Dre Moore as the starter over center heading into spring. Moore came on strong at the end of last year and continues to look like a player to contend with in the very near future. He is big (6-4, 296), moves very well and could make it hard for anyone to wrestle the starting job away from him if his progress continues. Fellow sophomore Carlos Feliciano and redshirt freshman Dennis Marsh will also work at the spot, giving the team a trio of young players to count on in coming years.
"One of the things that Coach (Dave) Sollazzo did with this group last year is that he played a lot of guys," said Friedgen. "Just the fact that they have already played some, it makes a world of difference in their confidence when we put them in now. Conrad (Bolston) is a starter who is coming back, but I don't see anybody who completely has their position locked down - and I love it. That type of competition is going to make them all better."
Linebacker
The linebacking corps is the position of least need at the top as the Terps return all three starters from a year ago. What spring will do is show just how much depth and versatility the team has and if things go well, the depth of the linebackers could help the team improve itself at other positions, namely drop end.
Maryland's defensive success over the course of the last four years has, in large part, had to do with the outstanding play it has gotten out of its middle linebackers. In 2001 and 2002, E.J. Henderson put his name into the annals of Maryland history as likely the best (and certainly the most decorated) linebacker the school has ever seen. His successor, D'Qwell Jackson, has shown the kind of game that should have him mentioned as a solid possibility to follow Henderson's footsteps as the school's second Butkus Award winner. Jackson will miss spring after having surgery on his wrist, but will be completely ready for fall camp and a senior season in which his hard-nosed, instinctive, big-hitting style will again be the impetus of the Terrapins' defensive success.
In Jackson's absence in the spring, sophomore Wesley Jefferson - a Jackson clone in terms of his ball-hawking play - will get a chance as he moves over from the "Will" spot. Redshirt freshman Chase Bullock will also be fighting for playing time behind Jackson.
At strongside linebacker, David Holloway returns for his junior season after playing above any expectation anyone had for him last year. Holloway played so well, in fact, that in spite of only weighing in at the 220-225 pound range, he is the player most likely to move over to help out at drop end if another player can prove worthy as his replacement at "Sam." Holloway is very good against the run and a solid tackler and the hope is that either redshirt freshman Eric Lenz or junior Jeris Smith can step in to help the team's depth. Both Lenz (back) and Smith (leg, ankle) missed last year with injury, but Lenz is healthy and has put on weight to go along with athleticism that initially had coaches very excited when he arrived as a true frosh.
The "Will" spot will have senior William Kershaw back after posting a very solid season in his first year as a starter. Kershaw could get challenged by Jefferson in the fall if his trial in the middle does not pan out in the spring, but for now redshirt freshman (and legacy) Erin Henderson will be his primary backup. Henderson played well in his first year and has added over 10 pounds of muscle since last season.
"If a guy like Eric Lenz could come along and play `Sam' for us, we may be able to get some versatility with our linebackers because Holloway could move down and play end," said Friedgen. "The question for Lenz is can he hold up against a tight end. We are also hoping to get Jeris Smith back and even though we can handle the numbers not being too high with all the nickel we play, we would like to see some of the young guys come along and improve our depth, if not outright change who goes where."
SPRING OUTLOOK SCHEDULE
Offense, QB, TB, FB -- March 29
WR, TE, OL -- March 30
Defense, DL, LB -- Today
DB, Special Teams -- Friday
