Maryland Football Position Preview: Offensive Line
Sep 21, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback CJ Brown (16) runs for a gain past West Virginia Mountaineers safety KJ Dillon (9) with blocking from lineman Ryan Doyle (55) at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
After a number of alterations that have taken place this offseason, the Maryland football team will be a work in progress in the 2015-16 season. Many of the changes occurred on the offensive side of the ball, so it will be interesting to see which players rise to the occasion. One of the most important position groups for the Terps this year will be the offensive line. There will be a new quarterback, so it is vital that he gets the protection he needs. Here’s a look at how Maryland’s offensive line stacks up for the upcoming season.
There are still some questions surrounding the big men up front as we head into a new college football season. There are two returning starters from a season ago: junior tackle Michael Dunn and senior guard Andrew Zeller. In 2014, both Dunn and Zeller were named to All-Big Ten Academic Team, so their intellectual acumen really goes without saying.
Zeller and Dunn are essentially the only two players who are entrenched in the Terps’ starting offensive line for this season. There is still plenty of talent at the position on Maryland’s roster, but they’re either inconsistent or inexperienced.
There are three young linemen, all redshirt freshmen, to watch out for this season for the Terps. One is Derwin Gray, a former 4-star recruit. He’s recovering from a surgery to fix a torn labrum, but if healthy, he’ll likely claim one of the starting spots because of his athleticism and versatility on the line.
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Then, you have Damian Prince, a former 5-star prospect. Prince was rated as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the Class of 2014, according to 247Sports. Gray and Prince will be battling, along with senior Ryan Doyle for the other tackle spot. Doyle, although inconsistent, did start 10 games for Maryland last year, so that counts for something.
Rounding out the first-year trio is Brendan Moore, who was a 3-star recruit from Texas. He’ll likely compete with senior Evan Mulrooney for the starting center spot.
This unit will be tasked with a lot in order to help establish a running game and keep Caleb Rowe off his backside. According to Roman Stubbs of the Washington Post, the line looked pretty good in spring ball, so we’ll just have to see if it can carry over to the season.