Coach Ralph Friedgen confirmed today what many of us had suspected would happen: defensive tackle Dion Armstrong has left the Terp football team. Armstrong met with Friedgen twice today, and Friedgen said Armstrong hopes to transfer.
Academic issues left Armstrong’s eligibility in serious doubt entering last spring, and he had not been cleared to play this year yet by the NCAA.
Last season, the 303-pound tackle started three games, taking over for Olugbemi Otulaja. He, Travis Ivey and Jared Harrell had progressed quite a bit last season and were projected as starters on the line this year.
Instead, redshirt freshman A.J. Francis will likely hold onto the starting job alongside Ivey in the middle, with Harrell and Derek Drummond currently slotted in at the end positions.
Armstrong obviously had a boatload of potential, what with his massive frame and cat-like reflexes and quickness. But Francis has really impressed coaches on the defensive end, especially considering Friedgen believed he might have been better suited at offensive guard at one point.
Meanwhile, Friedgen said Tuesday he wasn’t even sure Armstrong would be able to beat out Francis, should he be made eligible. Conditioning issues and a lack of focus had drawn Friedgen’s concern, as quoted in today’s print edition story.
I don’t know where he’s at right now,” Friedgen said. “He’s not in very good shape. He’s got a lot of potential, but I don’t know. I don’t know if he’s going to make it, first of all. I don’t know if he’s where we want him to be, just from a physical standpoint. … I’m trying to be patient there. But he needs to start working a little bit harder to make our football team.”
On the field, the loss robs the Terps of some depth. But new defensive coordinator Don Brown has never really had Armstrong on the field competing for him, and he said he won’t be changing any of his playbook or thinking without the big man in the middle.
Linebacker Adrian Moten wished Armstrong the best but said the team doesn’t have the time to look back and wonder “what if?”
“We just gotta move on,” Moten said. “Dion’s gonna be a great player wherever he goes because he’s got the ability. … Dion’s one of my really good friends, and I’m sorry to see him leave. But it was up to him. That’s what he wanted to do with his life, and I just got to move on.”
Zach Kerr and either Ian Davidson or Joe Vellano will likely back up Francis at the defensive tackle position. None of those four players (Kerr, Davidson, Vellano or Francis) has in-game action with the Terps.
Adi Joseph is the football beat writer for The Diamondback. He can be reached at ajoseph@umdbk.com.