Nearly two months removed from their Red-White Spring Game, the Maryland Terrapins’ football team is enjoying their summer vacation before they’ll return to the practice field in about two months. With the coaching staff hitting the recruiting trail and fans anxious to see what the starting lineups will look like, it’s a perfect time to take a look at my 2019 Recruiting Big Board and 2018 Projected Three-Deep Depth Chart.

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Post-Spring Thoughts

In the next few weeks, I’ll begin breaking down the Terrapins’ roster on a positional basis, but I typically like to begin by thinking about the team in broader terms. As has been the case for as long as I can remember, this season’s success likely hinges on the ability to stay healthy and productive at the quarterback position. Whether that’s Kasim Hill, Tyrrell Pigrome, or some combination of the two, this team must get healthy production from under center if they hope to return to the postseason in 2018. Whoever gets the starting nod against Texas in Week 1 will only have a few weeks of on-field experience in new offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s system, and it’ll be interesting to see how the team handles that process.

I’m perhaps most interested to watch the progression of the defense this summer. For a unit that struggled last season, especially on third downs and against the run, they’ll need to find a way to limit the long, gashing drives that they allowed so many of in 2017. A healthy pass-rush should help matters a lot, with talent and experience in the secondary allowing for plenty of blitzing and aggressive play up front.

There’s typically optimism for every college football team at this time of year, but this season is a crucial one for the Terrapins. In head coach DJ Durkin’s third year the roster is mostly full of his own recruits, and it’ll be important to build on the early-season energy from 2017 before the injury bug bit the team’s quarterbacks.

2019 Recruiting Big Board

2018 Projected Depth Chart

Zack Kiesel
Zack Kiesel

Terps Analyst

Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: [email protected].

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