If I have learned anything from the past few Terrapin football spring practice seasons, it is that spring storylines don’t always turn into anything worthwhile when the fall rolls around.
Two of the major pieces of news last spring were wide receiver Quintin McCree’s three touchdowns in the Spring Game and Drew Gloster moving from tight end to linebacker.
Neither made any significant impact for the Terps during the season, as McCree caught five passes for 24 yards the entire year and Gloster recorded six tackles and recovered one fumble.
With that said, the Terps held the first of their 15 spring workouts this afternoon, and a slew of Diamondback writers will be covering them over the next five weeks searching for the next big story that may or may not mean anything five months from now.
The Terps will practice three times a week until the Spring Game on April 24, so look for football stories in the print edition about that often, starting with one tomorrow.
To kick off our coverage, here are a few notes from coach Ralph Friedgen’s press conference earlier in the day.
- Quarterback Jamarr Robinson enters the spring at the top of the depth chart, and while both Friedgen and offensive coordinator James Franklin said Robinson is the clear starter at this point, Franklin said Robinson is not “entrenched” in that role and any of the Terps’ other four quarterbacks could push him. Redshirt freshman Danny O’Brien is currently second behind Robinson, followed by redshirt freshman C.J. Brown, junior Clay Belton, and true freshman Devin Burns.
- Paul Pinegar is currently listed as the Terps starting center. Pinegar started four games at right tackle, three games at left tackle and five games at left guard last season, and now he is penciled in as the replacement for the graduated Phil Costa. Offensive line was the most glaring of the Terps’ several weaknesses last year, and Friedgen spoke of the importance of getting the five “most accountable” guys on the field. From left to right, the Terps’ first-team offensive line on March 23 is Justin Gilbert, Andrew Gonnella, Pinegar, Bennett Fulper and R.J. Dill. Lamar Young will not practice this spring after offseason shoulder surgery, and Justin Lewis is also recovering from offseason surgery but hasn’t yet been ruled out for the entire spring. I will bet my entire life savings the first-team offensive line is not the same as it is now for the season opener against Navy.
- In addition to Lamar Young, defensive linemen Isaiah Ross and Carl Russell will not practice this spring. The sophomores will also spend the spring recovering from offseason surgery. Ross had knee surgery and Russell had shoulder surgery. Further, reserve offensive lineman Stephen St. John took a medical exemption and his playing career is likely over. He will stay with the team as a student coach.
- Gloster changed positions again, and so did a few other defensive players. Gloster, once a highly-touted wide receiver prospect, is now listed as the second-team defensive end behind Derek Drummond. Redshirt freshmen Bradley Johnson and Marcus Whitfield moved from linebacker to defensive end as well. Redshirt freshman De’Onte Arnett moved from the anchor position to defensive tackle, and Maurice Hampton moved from the offensive line to defensive tackle. Redshirt freshman Travis Hawkins moved from cornerback to strong safety. Friedgen said all of these moves are in an effort to get the Terps’ most talented players on the field. He felt the Terps’ had uneven levels of depth at certain positions.
That’s pretty much all of the noteworthy stuff for now. Check back for updates throughout the spring and read the print edition for move coverage and features.
Greg Schimmel is The Diamondback’s Terrapin football beat writer. He can be reached at schimmeldbk@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Greg_Schimmel.