Two positions to pay close attention to for Maryland football during the spring

After losing 21 players to the transfer portal, plus more to graduation, Maryland football will look like a new team when it takes the field this fall. The Terrapins lost several key starters like Billy Edwards Jr., Roman Hemby, and Tai Felton, among others. But Mike Locklsey went out and landed a top-25 recruiting class, along with landing some key transfers from the portal.

But in today's college football it all starts with the quarterback. The Terps lost their top three signal callers to the portal. Edwards Jr., MJ Morris, and Cameron Edge are gone. But not all hope is lost. Former UCLA quarterback Justyn Martin is now in College Park -- who has limited experience -- and Maryland signed four-star Malik Washington in the '25 class. The quarterback battle will be the spring storyline for Maryland, according to ESPN.

The Terrapins face a challenging offseason after going 1-8 in the Big Ten last year before losing several key players to the transfer portal, including quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (Wisconsin). Finding a new QB starter who can thrive -- whether it's UCLA transfer Justyn Martin or ESPN 300 incoming freshman Malik Washington -- will be key to any turnaround.

But you need an offensive line to protect whoever it is at quarterback. Maryland recently lost starting tackle Andre Roye who is no longer with the team. But the Terrapins signed two tackles in the portal, along with signing four-star offensive lineman Jaylen Gilchrist. That is the position with the most intrigue as spring practice looms.

The offensive line struggled last year, finishing with a Big Ten-worst 39.7% blown block rate. The arrivals of Akron transfer Jayvin James and ESPN 300 signee Jaylen Gilchrist could help boost a running game that averaged just 3.59 yards per attempt in 2024.