2001 ACC Champions 2002 Maryland Football Prospectus 2002 MARYLAND ...

[Pages:10]2001 ACC Champions

2002 Maryland Football Prospectus

2002 MARYLAND SPRING FOOTBALL

Table of Contents

TEAM INFORMATION

PLAYER PROFILES

Team Information 2002 Schedule 2002 Spring Schedule Spring Football Notebook Spring Football Preview Alphabetical Roster Numerical Roster Spring Depth Chart Personnel Breakdown Head Coach Ralph Friedgen

Coaching Staff

1 Key Returning Player Profiles

15

1 2002 Recruits

31

1 2

2001 SEASON REVIEW

4 Season In Review Notebook

35

8 2001 Final Statistics

37

9 Offensive Game-By-Game Stats

39

10 Defensive Game-By-Game Stats

40

11 Team Game-By-Game Statistics

41

12 Game-By-Game Starters

42

14 Participation Chart

43

Game Box Scores & Recaps

44

Media Guidelines

48

2002 Schedule

Day Date

Opponent

Sat Aug. 31 Notre Dame (ABC) - Kickoff Classic (East Rutherford. N.J.)

Sat Sept. 7 AKRON

Sat. Sept. 14 FLORIDA STATE*

Sat Sept. 21 EASTERN MICHIGAN

Sat Sept. 28 WOFFORD - Family Weekend

Sat Oct. 5

at West Virginia

Thu Oct. 17 GEORGIA TECH* (ESPN)

Sat Oct. 26 at Duke*

Sat Nov. 2 at North Carolina*

Sat Nov. 9 NC STATE* - Homecoming/Letterwinner's Day

Sat Nov. 16 at Clemson*

Sat Nov. 23 at Virginia*

Sat Nov. 30 WAKE FOREST*

*-indicates ACC game; home games in BOLD.

2002 Spring Football Schedule

Sunday March 31

Monday April 1

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

2

3

4

Friday 5

Saturday 6

4 p.m. 4 p.m. 10 a.m.

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

1 p.m.

4 p.m.

4 p.m.

3 p.m.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

1 p.m.

4 p.m.

4 p.m.

10 a.m.

21 1 p.m.

22

23

24

25

4 p.m.

4 p.m.

26

27

SPRING

GAME

4 p.m.

Note: those interested in attending practice must contact the football office (301314-7095 or mdgridiron@) prior to attending practice. Note: Spring practice dates and times subject to change.

IN MEMORIAM

The 2002 University of Maryland Spring Prospectus is dedicated to the memory of Terrapin fan Catherine McGuire, who died tragically Dec. 30 in an automobile accident while on her way with family and friends to watch the Terps play Florida in the 2002 FedEx Orange Bowl.

2002 SPRING FOOTBALL PROSPECTUS CREDITS

The 2002 Maryland Spring Football Prospectus was written and edited by Dave Haglund, Associate A.D. for Media Relations, and Greg Creese, Assistant Director for Media Relations. Layout and design by Jason Yellin, Publications Coordinator and Assistant Director for Media Relations. Photography by Larry French, Bill Vaughan, Bill Welch. Cover design by John Schaffhauser. Printing by Ambrose Printing.

Maryland Terrapin Quick Facts

GENERAL

Name of School City, Zip Founded Enrollment Nickname School Colors Stadium Capacity Surface Affiliation Conference President (Alma Mater, Year) Athletics Director (Alma Mater, Year)

University of Maryland College Park, Md. 20742

1807 33,006 Terrapins, Terps Red, White, Black, Gold Byrd Stadium 48,055 Natural Grass NCAA Division I-A Atlantic Coast Conference Dr. C.D. Mote, Jr. (California `51) Deborah A. Yow (Elon `74)

HISTORY

First year of football All-time record All-time bowl/playoff record Years in postseason play

Last postseason appearance Last postseason result

1892 546-487-43 (.527/1076 games)

6-10-2 18 (1947-49-51-53-55-73-74-75-76-77-78-

80-82-83-84-85-90-01) 2001

lost to Florida, 56-23 (FedEx Orange Bowl, 1-2-02)

MEDIA RELATIONS

Associate A.D./Media Relations Office Home E-Mail

Assistant SID/Football Contact Office Home E-Mail

Press Box Phone Media Relations Mailing Address

Web Site

Dave Haglund 301-314-7064 301-879-2518 haglund@wam.umd.edu

Greg Creese 301-314-7065 301-887-1199 gcreese@wam.umd.edu 301-405-7810 1112 Cole Field House, College Park, MD 20742-0295



FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF

Head Coach

Ralph Friedgen

Alma Mater, Year

Maryland `70

Record at school (years)

10-2 (1)

Career record (years)

same

Football office phone

301-314-7095

Best time to reach coach

Through Media Relations Office

Charlie Taaffe (Siena College '75) Off. Coordinator/Quarterbacks 2nd year at Maryland

Gary Blackney (Connecticut '67) Def. Coordinator/Secondary 2nd year at Maryland

Tom Brattan (Delaware '72)

Offensive Line

2nd year at Maryland

James Franklin (East Stroudsburg '95) Wide Receivers

3rd year at Maryland

Mike Locksley (Towson '92) Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator 6th year at Maryland

Ray Rychleski (Millersville '79) Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends 2nd year at Maryland

Rod Sharpless (Maryland '75)

Inside Linebackers

8th year at Maryland

Al Seamonson (Wisconsin '82) Outside Linebackers/Special Teams Asst. 2nd year at Maryland

Dave Sollazzo (The Citadel '77)

Defensive Line

4th year at Maryland

Tom Deahn (Heidelberg `87) Director of Football Operations 4th year at Maryland

Mitch Wilkens (Tennessee `97)

Video Coordinator

2nd year at Maryland

Brian Flinn (Mount Union `97)

Graduate Assistant

2nd year at Maryland

Greg Sesny (Catholic `99)

Graduate Assistant

2nd year at Maryland

Sandy Worth (Maryland '73)

Athletic Trainer

Dwight Galt (Maryland '81)

Strength & Conditioning Coach

TEAM INFORMATION

2001 overall record

2001 conference record/finish

2001 final rankings

Basic offense

Basic defense

Letterwinners returning:

Offense:

Specialty:

Lettermen lost:

Offense:

Specialty:

Starters returning:

Offense:

Specialty:

10-2

7-1 (First/ACC champions)

10th (ESPN/USA Today), 11th (A.P.)

Multiple

Multiple

20

Defense:

21

2

Total:

43

8

Defense:

11

1

Total:

20

8

Defense:

5

2

Total:

15 1

2001 ACC Champions

2002 Maryland Football Prospectus

Spring Football Notebook

FRIDGE ERA ? YEAR II The second year of the Ralph Friedgen era

commences in 2002, as the consensus national Coach of the Year looks to build on the foundation he laid a year ago in guiding the Terps to their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 1985. Friedgen, affectionately known as "Fridge," captured no less than 13 national Coach of the Year honors this past season, including citations from the Associated Press, Bobby Dodd Foundation, Walter Camp, Football Writers Association of America and The Sporting News. A look at Friedgen's major national coach of the year awards:

Associated Press Bobby Dodd Foundation Home Depot/ESPN Walter Camp Foundation American Football Coaches Assn. Football Writers Association of America Football News The Sporting News CNN/SI CBS ABC Maxwell Club Washington D.C. Pigskin Club

SPRING DRILLS DURING MONTH OF APRIL

The Terps will conduct their entire 15-practice spring session during the month of April, beginning Thursday, April 4 with the first official workout and concluding Saturday, April 27 with the spring game as part of the university's "Maryland Day" open house.

ACC PLAYERS OF YEAR AMONG 15 RETURNING STARTERS

Maryland will retain the services of 15 starters and 43 letterwinners in all from its 2001 ACC championship team. Among them: the reigning ACC Player of the Year (linebacker E.J. Henderson) and ACC Offensive Player of the Year (Bruce Perry). The Terps welcome back eight starters on offense (losing quarterback Shaun Hill, center Melvin Fowler and wide receiver Guilian Gary) and five on defense. In addition, both the starting punter and starting kicker are back.

CANDIDATES FOR BUTKUS, GUY, WALKER AWARDS

Maryland enters spring camp with serious candidates for major national awards in 2002, as senior E.J. Henderson is expected to be a preseason favorite for the Dick Butkus Award (top linebacker), senior Brooks Barnard is expected to be a leading contender for the Ray Guy Award (top punter), and tailback Bruce Perry is back after finishing as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award (top running back). Henderson's 150 total tackles ranks No. 3 among all returnees in Division I this coming season; Barnard finished seventh in the country in punting average last season. Perry was the ACC's Offensive Player of the Year in 2001.

KICKOFF CLASSIC OPENS 13-GAME SLATE

Maryland will kick off a schoolrecord 13-game regular season schedule when it plays in the Kickoff Classic Aug. 31 vs. Notre Dame. It will mark the firstever grid matchup between the two institutions.

Maryland, coming off a 10-2 season, will meet the fighting Irish in what will be first-year head coach Tyrone Willingham's Notre Dame debut. Due to NCAA legislation that eliminates preseason exempted games, it will be the 20th and final Kickoff Classic.

SEVEN HOME GAMES IN 2002 Maryland will play seven games in Byrd Sta-

dium for the second consecutive season. The Terps, who went undefeated at home last season, will play all of their September games in College Park, hosting Akron (Sept. 7), Florida State (Sept. 14), Eastern Michigan (Sept. 21) and Wofford (Sept. 28). Wofford was a late replacement on the Terps' 2002 schedule, taking the spot of Troy State, which opted out of its contract this past February. Other home games include Georgia Tech in a Thursday night ESPN matchup Oct. 17, NC State (Nov. 9) and Wake Forest (Nov. 30).

TERPS RECORD NCAA'S 2ND BIGGEST ATTENDANCE JUMP

University of Maryland recorded the second largest home attendance increase for all Division I-A institutions when compared to 2000 statistics, the NCAA announced. The Terps averaged 43,564 fans in seven home dates, a 27.6 percent increase over the 2000 attendance average (34,129). Maryland's 2001 home attendance total of 304,953 included the fourth-largest crowd in stadium history (52,462 vs. Clemson).

GREAT TIME TO BE A TERP! At press-time Maryland's men's basketball

team was seeded No. 1 in the East and ranked No. 4 nationally entering the premier hoops show during March Madness ? the NCAA Tournament. With the basketball Terps winning the ACC's regular season crown, Maryland became the first ACC institution since 1977-78 to win both the football and men's basketball regular season championships.

Moreover, Maryland is the first school in ACC history to sweep the four major individual awards voted on by the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association: players of the year in football and basketball (E.J. Henderson and Juan Dixon) and coaches of the year in football and basketball (Ralph Friedgen and Gary Williams).

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COACHING STAFF REMAINS INTACT

Ralph Friedgen will have the added bonus of continuity in his coaching staff when the Terps open spring camp in early April. Maryland's entire staff, including nine full-time and two graduate assistant coaches, remained with the program following the Terps' stunning 2001 campaign.

FIVE TERPS ACC ALL-ACADEMIC Five members of the 2001 Terrapin football

team ? guard Todd Wike, punter Brooks Barnard, quarterback Shaun Hill, center Melvin Fowler and defensive back Rod Littles ? were among 28 football players from around the league named to the ACC's All-Academic team. To be eligible, a player must have earned a 3.0 grade point average for the fall semester or have maintained a 3.0 cumulative GPA during his academic career.

THREE TERPS INVITED TO NFL COMBINE

Three standouts on Maryland's ACC titlewinning team of last fall participated in the National Football League's annual combine in Indianapolis this winter: center Melvin Fowler, nose tackle Charles Hill, and cornerback Tony Okanlawon.

The National Football League's annual draft

is slated for April 20-21 in New York City. A year ago, Maryland had two players drafted: defensive lineman Kris Jenkins and running back LaMont Jordan, both in the second round.

ACC FOOTBALL KICKOFF SLATED FOR PINEHURST

The Atlantic Coast Conference's Football Kickoff for media, coaches and selected players is slated for July 21-23 at Pinehurst, N.C.

GOSSETT TEAM HOUSE EXPANSION

The Gossett Football Team House (GFTH) expansion project, slated to begin with the first phase this spring, will improve the University of Maryland's football facility to meet the needs of Terp student-athletes and recruits through the expansion of four components:

? Expanded Academic Support and Career Development Unit (ASCDU) ? New Recruit Meeting Room/Dining Facility with Kitchen ? New Team Meeting Auditorium ? Expanded Entrance and Lobby

The expansion and new construction will create 15,500 additional square feet. The expanded ASCDU, the most urgent phase of the

project, will increase the existing space dedicated to undergirding the academic and career achievement initiatives of football student-athletes by over 4,000 square feet.

The 3,500 square foot Recruit Meeting Room/Dining Facility with kitchen will provide a much-needed multi-purpose facility for hosting recruits and their families. Currently,the GFTH does not have adequate space to entertain prospective student athletes, their parents, and high school coaches.

A new team meeting room will give the entire football team the opportunity to meet together in one room, allowing the coaching staff to teach, and use up-to-date technology in an environment that has sufficient seating space for football players.

This 3,500 square foot addition will help transform our staff's capability to effectively present offensive and defensive game plans. The existing 2,000 square foot team meeting room is woefully inadequate in space, digital technology and in overall seating capacity.

A more appropriate entrance and lobby for the GFTH will help to create feelings of tradition, importance and success. It will be an impressive welcome to recruits and other visitors. This new entrance and lobby will highlight the rich past of Maryland Football and will showcase our return to a program of national distinction.

THE RENDERING OF THE GOSSETT TEAM HOUSE EXPANSION

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2002 Maryland Football Prospectus

Season Preview

Last year at this time, the University of Maryland football team quietly made its way to spring practice looking to establish many things.

The coaches were looking to establish relationships with players they had yet to hold a practice with; looking to set the precedent as to what would be expected in terms of pace of practice and work ethic. At the same time, the players were working to try and learn a new offensive and defensive system and -- from an individual standpoint ? take advantage of the opportunity that comes with a fresh start. Finally, it was a Terrapin program that was trying to re-establish itself within the university community and build momentum for the upcoming season.

A year later, Maryland has bought into Ralph Friedgen's philosophy and work ethic, and the team heads to spring with a few more eyes looking its way. Players have stepped up and made a name for themselves on both the conference and national scene. The Terrapin football team became one of the great stories of 2001 in the Baltimore/ D.C. area. And, oh yeah, the Terps enter spring as the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference champions.

This season, the focus changes. It changes not only beyond what it was last year, but as a result of their success, it changes to fit the direction the program has taken. One must, however, take a step back and look at what the Terps must do to improve this spring.

The main focus will be in finding replacements for several key players who were lost due to graduation. The team will need to find a new starter at quarterback where last year's offensive team MVP resided; a replacement at center where a player who started every game the last four years; a starter at the nose tackle spot which was vacated by the defensive line's top performer of a year ago; two starters and several key backups at linebacker; and, finally, both safety spots.

The following is a position-by-position look at where the 2002 version of the Maryland Terrapins are as they approach their second spring under Ralph Friedgen:

OFFENSE

The offense returns eight starters and many other key contributors from a unit which came on as one of the most balanced attacks in college football. Last year, Maryland averaged 35.5 points per game while posting an average of 439.7 yards of offense per game. The 390 points the Terps scored were most ever by a Maryland team.

Several important players from last year's group graduated last year, but one stands out as the key that needs replacing ? quarterback Shaun Hill. Ralph Friedgen said many times a year ago that he would like to have Hill for three more years. Unfortunately, Hill was a senior. But what is lost in Hill's experience and moxie, this year's candidates may be able to make up in athleticism. If for no other reason, this spring will be important to the Terp offense in terms of getting the quarterbacks work and in getting a grasp on who goes where on the depth chart.

In the end, it is still an offense that returns the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, a deep corps of fullbacks, four starters on the offensive line, talented receivers who are more settled in the system than a year ago and a strong group of tight ends.

"It is a little frustrating that our quarterback will be a little behind the rest of our offense," said Friedgen, "because it is not going to let us go as fast as we could if we had a starter returning at that position. We'll have to see how far and how fast they progress and that will determine a lot in terms of how much we will progress this spring."

QUARTERBACK

All eyes will be on the quarterback position this spring. Shaun Hill came in

at this time last year and showed that he had taken to learning the new offense

and showed promise with the season on the horizon. This year, the race for

the starting job is wide open, but three players stand the best chance of

earning the nod.

Sophomores Chris Kelley and Scott McBrien are joined by

newcomer Orlando Evans as the front-runners for the job. Each of

the three has their own distinct advantage in terms of experi-

ence and this spring will go a long way toward finding a

more clear-cut favorite for fall.

Kelley's advantage from an experience standpoint

is that he has spent the most time learning the of-

fense. After overcoming a knee injury and perform-

ing well last spring, Kelley reinjured his knee prior

to the 2001 season and missed the first six weeks.

When he returned, however, he steadily contin-

ued to pick up the offense and by the time Or-

ange Bowl practice sessions rolled around, he

was drawing the praise of his coaches. He en-

ters spring still recuperating from his latest

surgery (a lateral menisectomy on Feb. 27),

but he should be ready to go and show the

promise that made him one the most highly-

sought-after preps on the Terrapin roster.

He is a gutty player who has a good arm,

throws the deep ball well and demands

respect in the huddle.

McBrien's experience advantage comes

from his days at West Virginia, the

school he transferred in from last fall.

He is the only quarterback on the

roster to have played significant

snaps in a Division I-A game and

he performed well (most nota-

bly 252 passing yards in three

quarters of action against

Notre Dame as a redshirt

frosh in 2000) in backup

2001 ACC Offensive Player of the Year Bruce Perry

performances. McBrien, a southpaw, looked good running the scout team of-

fense for Maryland last year, showing a strong arm and good accuracy.

Evans comes to Maryland having seen more time on the field than any of the

QBs on the roster. A JC transfer who started out at Oregon, Evans is a mobile

quarterback who throws well with a quick release and was rated as one of the top

junior college quarterbacks in the country and the 23rd-best JC player overall (any

position) by SuperPrep magazine. Last year, he completed 165 of 251 (.657)

passes for 2,391 yards and 28 touchdowns en route to a perfect 12-0 season at

City College of San Francisco.

Another couple of players who could factor into the mix include another

WVU transfer, Hunter Cross, and second-year player Shai Warsaw. All five players

will be given good looks in the spring.

"I would say that we enter spring with probably a three-man race right now,

but competition is what spring is for," said Friedgen. "I would think that Kelley

has an advantage knowledge-wise after spending a full year in the offense, but it

is up to him to put that to good use. Each guy has an advantage, though ? it's

going to be a good race."

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2002 Maryland Football Prospectus

TAILBACK

One position that would seem to have little to talk about is tailback after the outstanding 2001 season by Bruce Perry. It was a season that Perry entered fighting for a starting job and ended with a Doak Walker Award finalist and ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors.

But Perry strained a stomach muscle in practices leading up to the Orange Bowl and has yet to fully recover. His backup from a year ago -- Marc Riley -- has graduated, and that leaves sophomore Jason Crawford as the next man in line. Crawford, however, also enters spring nicked up and hopes to be completely healed from a hip injury when workouts start.

The player who stands to possibly gain via reps this spring is redshirt freshman Mario Merrills. Merrills is a quiet, unassuming back who has simply earned his coaches' respect with a strong work ethic and talent. The offensive scout team player of the year last year, Merrills may have the best straight-ahead speed of any Terrapin back and his improvement could be a great complement to Perry and Crawford in the fall.

Another hard-working player who will get more work this spring is senior Chris Downs, a shifty back who hits the hole hard.

Injuries aside, Perry and Crawford remain atop the depth chart with Perry serving as the starter and Crawford looking to spell him and take over on shortyardage situations, as Riley did a year ago. Assuming both players leave spring healthy, the extra work would only help to add depth to the tailback position. In typical fashion, things are relatively cut-and-dried for Friedgen.

"If those two guys (Perry and Crawford) are healthy, we have a lot of experience and talent coming back," said Friedgen. "But right now, that doesn't reassure me. If they are not ready to play, I go to the next guy, and right now, they aren't ready to play."

FULLBACK

If there is one position on the offense without any questions to be answered, that position is fullback.

The Terps return starter James Lynch as well as backups Chad Killian (who started the four games Lynch didn't) and Bernie Fiddler, all of whom saw significant playing time a year ago.

Lynch enters spring having worked hard in the offseason to turn some excess baggage into muscle. He still weighs in at 260-plus pounds, but his strength and stamina are both improved and he looks to be more of a threat running the ball in '02.

One of Killian's strengths is in running the ball, but he proved to be an effective blocker in spelling Lynch last year. Fiddler also came in to provide a fresh player who gets after defenders.

One player to watch this spring who did not see the field a year ago is sophomore Henry Scott. A walk-on a year ago, Scott impressed coaches and could stay at fullback or get a look at linebacker. He runs well, has great size (6-1, 248) and likes to hit.

"I think fullback is a position of strength for us," said Friedgen. "We are very fortunate to have three good guys ? most teams don't have more than one, if they have that, at that position. It is such a vital position for offensive success. The only hard part will be in getting playing time for all of those guys because they all deserve it."

WIDE RECEIVER

All but one receiver (Guilian Gary) who saw significant playing time a year ago returns in 2002. That is a positive considering that at this time a year ago, Friedgen was professing that the passing game would simply need time to improve.

One of the interesting stories of the spring will come from one of the new faces that will be working at the position. Junior Latrez Harrison will attempt to make the switch from quarterback to receiver in a move that could get the athletic player more time on the field. That is exactly what the coaches are hoping as

Harrison showed last year that he can get the football down field once it is in his hands. He has ideal size (6-3, 217) and showed the ability to pull away from defenders when scrambling as a quarterback. The lone issue will be in seeing the offense from a different perspective, but his grasp should be better than that of his counterparts at the position.

Of the returnees, Jafar Williams is one of the players expected to benefit from a year in the offense. Williams was the team's third-leading receiver a year ago (39-425, 2 TDs) and showcases the size, strength and speed that Friedgen seeks in a receiver. His likely counterpart in the starting lineup will be Scooter Monroe, a senior who also had his best season in 2001 and will be expected to contribute more in '02.

Others who will figure into the mix and can use the spring to improve their spots on the depth chart include Rich Parson, Steve Suter, Ike Roberts and Derrick Fenner. Parson and Suter will compete for the slot position which was manned by Parson and Daryl Whitmer a year ago, while Roberts' hard work has pushed him toward more playing time, as has the solid route-running displayed by Fenner in practice a year ago.

Friedgen has seen improvement at the position, but seeks more. "I think we are further ahead this year than we were last year at this time," said Friedgen. "Now what I would like to see is us get up the field and make plays more than we did a year ago. Chris Kelley and Scotty McBrien throw the deep ball well, so hopefully we can improve on that. But we have to get behind people and make some plays. The other thing I would like to see us improve on is our perimeter blocking."

TIGHT END

Like wide receiver, the Terrapins are in pretty good shape at tight end and will be simply working to get better in certain areas this spring.

Jeff Dugan returns and will be an ACC honors candidate in 2002. Friedgen considers him the best blocking tight end in the conference and he simply needs to be more of a contributor in passing situations. He showed that ability as a freshman when he finished second on the team in receiving ? he simply needs to improve his route running and become more assertive.

The battle at tight end will be to fill the spot vacated by Matt Murphy, a player who played well in his final season as Dugan's chief backup and sometimes counterpart. Vying for that job will be Ryan Flynn and Derek Miller, a couple of underclassmen who bring different things to the table. Flynn is an aggressive blocker who is comparable in size (6-4, 262) to Dugan (6-4, 266). Miller was a bit lanky as a freshman, but has filled out his 6-8 frame nicely in his year at College Park and now checks in at 257 pounds. His strengths are his pass receiving skills and the ability to get down field. He could be the "field-stretcher" that Maryland is looking for.

Also in the mix will be Brandon Thomas, another player with ideal height (65) who, like Miller, could stand to continue to put on weight.

"At tight end, we need to get better in the passing game," said Friedgen. "Matt Murphy did a very good job for us as far as getting up the field. I would like to find a guy who can do that for us because if it doesn't come from the tight end, we may have to go to four-wide or maybe get a fullback to fill that role, so I hope we can come out of spring with at least one guy to fill that position. From a runblocking perspective, I feel we are fine right now."

OFFENSIVE LINE

Fullback is the single position in which Terrapins are most set, but the unit that returns the most experience and potential for success is the offensive line. Maryland returns four starters from last year's team with the lone spot to fill being at center. The shoes to fill there, however, are large as the departed player is fouryear starter and All-ACC performer Melvin Fowler.

Fowler was the anchor of a line that helped produce record offensive numbers a year ago (4,837 yards and a school-record 390 points), and filling his leadership role will be a tall order. Vying to replace him are a pair of underclass-

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2001 ACC Champions

2002 Maryland Football Prospectus

men in sophomore Kyle Schmitt and redshirt freshman Jason Holman. Schmitt

played in every game last year and was the Terps' top reserve. He spent most of

his time at guard but should not have any problems from an assignment stand-

point as he would have been the first player to come in if Fowler had gotten

hurt. Holman is a player who has been compared to Fowler in his early years as

he possesses similar footwork and athleticism. Holman could benefit from the

experience of this spring as well as a little more size.

At the other spots, Maryland can only be considered in better shape than it

was a year ago. C.J. Brooks returns at left tackle after a strong freshman cam-

paign in which he earned Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News.

In one of the top battles of spring, he will be challenged to keep his spot by

junior Eric Dumas. Their competition is a win-win situation for the Terps as both

are exceptionally talented players. Right tackle will be manned by 2001 Piccolo

Award winner Matt Crawford, who will benefit from being able to practice this

spring. A year ago, he was still rehabilitating an injured left knee. There is solid

depth behind him in the form of Lou Lombardo, a player who has played well

when called upon.

At guard, first team All-ACC

selection Todd Wike returns for

his senior year on the left

side. He is a intelligent

player with good feet who

will likely assume some of

the leadership roles along

with fellow senior

Crawford. His backup is Ed

Tyler. On the right side,

Lamar Bryant returns and

will be joined at the

spot by Reggie Kemp.

All in all, it is as

Friedgen predicted it

would be a year ago

? one of the most ex-

perienced, talented

groups on the team.

"The line

should be a real

strong point for

us," said Friedgen.

"All of those guys

have played and

have played to-

gether. They are a

very cohesive

unit; we just have

to replace a very

good football player

in Melvin Fowler. And

that won't be easy, but

we should be a year

older everywhere else

and, hopefully, once we

get that piece plugged

in we will have a chance

to be pretty good up

front."

2001 ACC Player of the Year E.J. Henderson

DEFENSE

The Terrapin defensive unit was outstanding with few exceptions a year ago. Coach Gary Blackney's unit used a high-pressure, blitzing style that stymied opponent's rushing attacks while forcing turnovers when they went to the air.

Maryland will return some of the top players from last year's unit with young standouts like C.J. Feldheim and Randy Starks joining consensus All-American E.J. Henderson and Leon Joe, among others. But this spring will be tantamount to the Terrapins' efforts as several key positions will see new faces with nose tackle and both safety spots among them.

The defense is not short on talent, but it is not long in the tooth either, and spring will go a long way in helping some of the younger players get more accustomed to their assignments.

"We are going to be very young on defense this year," said Friedgen. "We are probably going to make some mistakes, but I think we have a chance to get better as time goes on and, ultimately, have a very good defense for some time."

DEFENSIVE LINE

The defensive line was a chief area of concern heading into spring drills last year. As the spring and season progressed, the line ended up being one of the team's most pleasant surprises.

This year, the defensive line is comparable to its counterpart on the offensive side of the ball as it loses just one starter. Unfortunately, like the offensive line, that lost starter ? Charles Hill -- happened to be the player who was most important to the unit's success a year ago. Hill was the team's second-leading tackler and a quiet leader on the Terrapin defense. "Charles (Hill) played very, very well for us last year," said Friedgen. "He was the guy in the middle that kind of held everything together." Spring will be imperative to the Terp defensive front as it enters the offseason workouts without a definitive answer to who will start at that nose tackle spot. There are several possible scenarios including: a) moving C.J. Feldheim over from his defensive tackle spot and leaving Randy Starks as the starter there; b) having a returnee like William Shim? or Tosin Abari step up and take the starting job; or c) a newcomer or second-year player could work their way into playing time. In any event, it will be interesting to see what transpires. Due to the uncertainty at nose tackle, the same uncertainty exists at defensive tackle. What is certain, however, is that two players ? Feldheim and Starks ? came on a year ago and proved to be players to watch in coming years. Feldheim (36 tackles, five TFLs, 3.0 sacks) made the transition from end seem effortless and showed both solid run-stopping and pass-rushing capabilities. Starks (35 tackles, seven TFLs, 3.5 sacks) -- one of just four true freshmen to play last year -- displayed outstanding athleticism and strength and he enters this spring in even better shape physically. Both players should be a force, regardless of position. Also competing at the tackle spot will be second-year players Akil Patterson and Mike Steele.

6

2001 ACC Champions

2002 Maryland Football Prospectus

At defensive end, Durrand Roundtree returns for his senior season after performing well in his first full year as a starter. He is an outstanding physical force who stands to improve on his numbers of a year ago (4.5 sacks, 5 TFLs) after he was hampered by injury in several games in the second half of the season.

Roundtree will be backed up by Scott Smith, Landon Jones and Kevin Eli, although Jones will miss spring due to academic reasons. Smith is coming off of surgery on his back, but coaches hope that he can live up to what they see as a good deal of talent. Starks will also get some work at end, a position where he could get playing time should Feldheim be able to stay at defensive tackle rather than nose tackle.

"Charles Hill is a major guy to have to replace," said Friedgen. "Hopefully, the guys there will be able to work well and be able to give us the same productivity that he did. Feldheim and Starks really played well a year ago and I hope having the two of them together and comfortable in the lineup will make up for anything we have lost."

LINEBACKER

The linebacking corps is one of the most diverse positions on the Terp roster. On one hand, it has the most talent and experience of any position on the Maryland defense. On the other hand, it is a position that was stripped of its depth by graduation and will need to look to newcomers to fill in some holes.

Among the bright spots is senior E.J. Henderson, a consensus All-American and 2001 ACC Player and Defensive Player of the Year. It is a given that Henderson will start in the middle and be the anchor of the Terp defense as he was a year ago. He will likely miss spring as he rehabilitates a back injury suffered late last season, but he will be an integral part of the spring workouts with his presence. His absence in the lineup will give needed reps to backups like Andrew Henley, an athletic player who saw his first action as a collegian last year.

"Whether he is hurt or not, we are not going to work E.J. a lot this spring," said Friedgen. "We know what he can do and I am counting on him to get well, get stronger and faster and provide leadership to other players."

At the "Will" (weakside) linebacker spot, Leon Joe returns and will look to continue his trek toward becoming one of the top linebackers in the ACC. Joe is as athletic as any player on the roster and he showed at times last year the ability to make plays all over the field. Spring will help him hone his skills to take it to that next level. Vying for playing time at that position will also be Curtis Williams and Maurice Smith. Williams is a converted safety who has a nose for the ball and made big plays when on the field last year, whether it was in a game or scrimmage situation. Smith played mostly on special teams as a true freshman, but will get more of a look at linebacker this spring.

At "Sam" (strongside linebacker), Leroy Ambush enters spring as the leader of a group looking to replace the departed Aaron Thompson. The speedy Ambush will be challenged by second-year player Ricardo Dickerson, last year's defensive scout team player of the year. Dickerson is a hitter who combines good speed, quickness, cover skills and aggressiveness. One of his only needs right now is experience and comfort in the defensive system.

The "Leo" (rush end) position is another spot that will see new faces this spring. Last year's starter, Mike Whaley, is not academically eligible to participate this spring. He may be able to return, but in the meantime, Maryland will work a trio of players at the position. Leading the way will be sophomore Jamahl Cochran, sophomore Jon Condo and junior college transfer Andrew Wojcik. Wojcik's presence is notable as he is paying his own way at Maryland during the spring semester so that he can participate in football workouts. He will be a scholarship athlete in the fall.

There will be stiff competition at both the "Leo" and "Sam" spots this spring, and it should be noted that there will be even more in the fall with the addition of several key recruits who fit the Terrapins' needs at those spots.

"My biggest concern at linebacker this spring is in staying healthy," said Friedgen. "In addition to that, I hope some guys step up and show that they can compete at the positions where we lost some people."

DEFENSIVE BACK

Like linebacker, the defensive backfield stands to see some stiff competition in the spring. Both starting safeties from a year ago have graduated while a corner who started half of the season (Tony Okanlawon) is also gone. The Terps are not without able bodies in the defensive backfield; one of the big questions will just be who goes where.

At cornerback, three players return who started a year ago (although one is likely to compete elsewhere). Junior Curome Cox is the veteran of the bunch, having started 19 games in his first two years. He is a solid corner with good size and strength who posted three interceptions and three PBUs a year ago. Battling for playing time behind him are a pair of Lackawanna JC products in Jamal Chance and newcomer Reuben Haigler (who enters the picture this fall).

At the other corner, second-year player Domonique Foxworth is listed atop the depth chart. Foxworth played well in his first season at the position and should be improved from an experience standpoint alone. He is a hard-working player who showed promise late in the season when called upon in 2001. Foxworth will compete with Gerrick McPhearson, a player who redshirted last year after being signed in the same class as Foxworth. On the whole, the group is young, but spring will help not only in solidifying who starts, but also who can play in nickel and dime situations.

Safety will see a pair of new starters with the losses of Randall Jones and Tony Jackson. At strong safety, Dennard Wilson and Ty Stewart will battle for the starting spot. Wilson is moving over from cornerback where he started four games in the last two years. His hitting ability and instinct may prove to be better suited to safety and adds another player with strong cover skills to the safety position. Stewart came on a year ago and showed big-play ability in the nickel package and he will get a shot to earn the starting spot in this, his senior year. Also competing at strong safety will be another converted corner, Andrew Smith.

The free safety spot will likely be manned by a player who had coaches champing at the bit last season. Madieu Williams had to sit out 2001 due to NCAA transfer rules, but he is listed first on the depth chart at free safety heading into spring. He is the complete package with size (6-1, 193), cover skills and speed, and he proved to be one of the hardest working players on the team last year. What's more, he can also play strong safety or corner which could come in handy for a unit that will need to make some adjustments.

"We only have eight or nine defensive backs this spring, so it puts us in somewhat of a bind in terms of what we can do," said Friedgen. "But on the flip side, it will give us a chance to see what some people can do before some other newcomers get here in the fall."

SPECIALISTS

One thing Maryland was sure of as it entered last season was that it would boast one of the best punters in the country. A year later it can extend that claim as Maryland stands to have one of the most complete kicking games in the country.

Brooks Barnard returns for his senior year and his final bid at the Ray Guy Award. Barnard has been in the top seven nationally in each of the last two years and has been a weapon for the Terps in terms of field position. A first team AllACC selection last year, Barnard stands to close his career as Maryland's all-time punting leader as he carries a 43.9-yard career average into the season.

The placekicker spot started off a bit shaky a year ago, but was solidified at year's end and ultimately became one of the strong points of the team. Nick Novak earned honorable mention All-ACC honors after a tremendous start to his collegiate career a year ago. He showed moxie in a game-winning kick at Georgia Tech and consistency the remainder of the year while hitting 12 of his final 14 field goals in the regular season with his only misses coming from 50 and 62 yards, respectively.

One position that will see some competition this year is that of long snapper. Jon Condo was strong in the position last year while Jesse Kluttz has come on in the offseason and improved his snapping skills. Several players will also be looked at this spring in the return game, with Merrills and Parson among the players to watch.

7

2001 ACC Champions

2002 Maryland Football Prospectus

Spring Football Alphabetical Roster

No.

Name

Pos.

Hgt

Wgt

Cl.

Exp. Hometown (High School/Last School)

97

Tosin Abari

DT

6-0

258

Jr.

SQ

Mt. Rainier, Md. (Good Counsel HS)

3

Rob Abiamiri

WR

6-3

216

So. SQ

Randallstown, Md. (Mount St. Joseph HS)

24

**

Leroy Ambush

LB

6-1

223

Jr.

2V

Frederick, Md. (Thomas Johnson HS)

12 (d)

Sal Aragona

WR

5-8

178

Jr.

SQ

Staten Island, N.Y. (Monsignor Farrell HS/St. John's)

16

*** BrooksBarnard

P

6-2

188

Sr.

3V

Arnold, Md. (Broadneck HS/Oklahoma)

49 (d)

Richard Benjamin

LB

6-1

237

Jr.

SQ

White Plains, Md. (McDonough/Charles County CC)

77

Russell Bonham

OT

6-4

309

Fr.

RS

Winston-Salem, N.C. (Carver HS)

74

*

C.J. Brooks

OT

6-5

316

So. 1V

Rex, Ga. (Morrow HS)

93

Davian Bryan

DL

5-10

281

So. RS

Hyattsville, Md. (Northwestern HS)

73

*

Lamar Bryant

OG

6-3

302

Jr.

2V

Clinton, Md. (Crossland HS)

37

*

Jamal Chance

CB

6-1

190

Sr.

1V

Ephrata, Pa. (Ephrata HS/Lackawanna JC)

49 (d)

*

Jamahl Cochran

LB

6-0

241

So. 1V

Morristown, N.J. (Morristown HS)

47

*

Jon Condo

LB

6-3

237

So. 1V

Philipsburg, Pa. (Philipsburg-Osceola HS)

30

**

Curome Cox

CB

6-1

199

Jr.

2V

Arlington, Va. (Gonzaga College HS)

9

*

Jason Crawford

TB

6-2

220

So. 1V

Forestville, Md. (Parkdale HS/Fork Union Military)

78

*** Matt Crawford

OT

6-6

312

Sr.

3V

Moravia, N.Y. (Moravia HS)

17

Hunter Cross

QB

6-3

209

Jr.

RS

Hagerstown, Md. (Hargrave Military/West Virginia)

26

*

Raymond Custis

SS

5-8

188

So. 1V

Germantown, Md. (Northwest HS)

58

Ricardo Dickerson

LB

6-3

230

Fr.

RS

Hyattsville, Md. (Northwestern HS)

76

Tim Donovan

OT

6-4

301

Fr.

RS

Crofton, Md. (DeMatha HS)

20

*

Chris Downs

TB

5-8

188

Sr.

1V

Philadelphia, Pa. (Malvern Prep/Valley Forge Military)

45 (d)

Justin Duffie

RB

6-2

250

Fr.

HS

Gaithersburg, Md. (Landon HS)

82

**

Jeff Dugan

TE

6-4

266

Jr.

2V

Allison Park, Pa. (Central Catholic HS)

75

*

Eric Dumas

OT

6-6

308

Jr.

2V

Atlanta, Ga. (Benjamin Mays HS)

41

Kevin Eli

DE

6-4

260

So. SQ

Deptford, N.J. (Deptford HS)

11 (d)

Orlando Evans

QB

6-0

190

Jr.

TR

Stockton, Calif. (Brookside Christian/City College of San Francisco)

96

**

C.J. Feldheim

DT

6-3

277

Jr.

2V

Parkton, Md. (Hereford HS)

83 (d)

Derrick Fenner

WR

5-11

178

Fr.

RS

Hampton, Va. (Hampton HS)

44

*

Bernie Fiddler

FB

6-1

231

Jr.

1V

Swedesboro, N.J. (Kingsway HS)

87

Ryan Flynn

TE

6-4

262

So. SQ

Youngstown, Ohio (Cardinal Mooney HS)

6

*

Domonique Foxworth

CB

5-11

172

So. 1V

Randallstown, Md. (Western Tech HS)

4

**

Latrez Harrison

WR

6-3

217

Jr.

2V

Atlanta, Ga. (Booker T. Washington HS)

42

*** E.J.Henderson

LB

6-2

250

Sr.

3V

Aberdeen, Md. (Aberdeen HS)

51 (d)

*

Andrew Henley

LB

5-11

237

Jr.

1V

Riverdale, Md. (DeMatha HS)

60

Jason Holman

C

6-2

272

Fr.

RS

Midlothian, Va. (James River HS)

51 (d)

Omid Janloo

LB

5-11

227

Fr.

RS

Ellicott City, Md. (Centennial HS)

32

**

Leon Joe

LB

6-1

223

Jr.

2V

Clinton, Md. (Friendly HS)

99

*

Landon Jones

DT

6-4

259

Jr.

1V

Marion, Ohio (Harding HS)

2

Chris Kelley

QB

6-2

206

So. SQ

Germantown, Md. (Seneca Valley HS)

69

Reggie Kemp

OG

6-4

312

So. SQ

Hyattsville, Md. (Northwestern HS)

31

*

Chad Killian

FB

6-2

256

Sr.

1V

Pittsburgh, Pa. (Fox Chapel HS)

56

Jesse Kluttz

LS

6-3

238

Fr.

RS

Fallston, Md. (Hargrave Military Academy)

63

Raheem Lewis

OG

6-3

329

Fr.

RS

District Heights, Md. (Suitland HS)

79

*

Lou Lombardo

OT

6-6

303

So. 1V

Baltimore, Md. (Calvert Hall HS)

5

**

James Lynch

FB

5-11

267

Jr.

2V

Washington, D.C. (Dunbar HS)

7

Scott McBrien

QB

6-2

180

So. RS

Rockville, Md. (DeMatha HS/West Virginia)

38 (d)

Gerrick McPhearson

CB

5-11

190

Fr.

RS

Columbia, Md. (Howard HS)

8

Mario Merrills

84

Derek Miller

25

*** Scooter Monroe

TB

5-10

195

Fr.

RS

Columbia, Md. (Wilde Lake HS)

TE

6-8

257

Fr.

RS

Carlisle, Pa. (Boiling Springs HS)

WR

6-1

193

Sr.

3V

Abingdon, Md. (John Carroll HS)

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

Players

46 (d)

*

Nick Novak

PK

6-0

189

So. 1V

Charlottesville, Va. (Albemarle HS)

Tosin Abari toe-suhn uh-BAR-ee

83 (d)

Onochi Onwuemene

22

*

Rich Parson

91

Akil Patterson

1

**

Bruce Perry

65

Matt Powell

11 (d)

Brian Ramey

45 (d)

Craig Reutepohler

WR

6-0

190

So. RS

Silver Spring, Md. (Good Counsel HS)

Rob Abiamiri

A-BE-uh-meery

WR DT TB

5-10

180

6-3

294

5-9

188

So. 1V

Fr.

RS

Jr.

2V

Newark, Del. (Newark Academy) Frederick, Md. (Frederick HS) Philadelphia, Pa. (George Washington HS)

Curome Cox Eric Dumas

curr-OHM DOO-mus

OG

6-4

332

Fr.

RS

Ft. Washington, Md. (Oxon Hill HS)

Latrez Harrison

luh-TREZ

WR

6-0

168

Fr.

RS

Upper Arlington, Ohio (Upper Arlington HS) Gerrick McPhearson

with hard g

LB

5-9

188

Fr.

RS

Huron, Ohio (Huron HS)

Durrand Roundtree

duh-RAND

10

*

Ike Roberts

WR

5-11

170

So. 1V

Staten Island, N.Y. (Tottenville HS)

William Shim?

SHE-may

71

**

Durrand Roundtree

39

Mohamed Savage

72

*

Kyle Schmitt

38 (d)

Henry Scott

18

*

Maurice Shanks

95

**

William Shim?

85

Aaron Smith

DE

6-3

255

Sr.

2V

Baltimore, Md. (Lansdowne HS)

Steve Suter rhymes with scooter

DB

5-8

174

So. RS

Gaithersburg, Md. (Quince Orchard HS)

Shai Warsaw

shy

OG

6-5

310

So. 1V

Latrobe, Pa. (Derry Area HS)

FB

6-1

248

So. RS

Baltimore, Md. (Kenwood HS)

WR

6-4

186

So. 1V

Hampton, Va. (Phoebus HS)

Todd Wike Jafar Williams

rhymes with bike juh-FAR

NT

6-4

277

Sr.

2V

Ft. Washington, Md. (Bishop McNamara HS) Madieu Williams

muh-DEE-ooh

WR

6-5

200

Fr.

RS

West Point, N.Y. (O'Neill HS)

Dennard Wilson

duh-NARD

23

*

Andrew Smith Jr.

CB

6-0

194

Jr.

1V

Fort Meade, Md. (Meade HS)

Coaches

59

*

Maurice Smith

LB

6-0

216

So. 1V

Waldorf, Md. (Westlake HS)

Tom Brattan

rhymes with latin

54

**

Scott Smith

57

*

Randy Starks

64

Mike Steele

29

*** Ty Stewart

34

Steve Suter

DE

6-4

257

Jr.

2V

Philadelphia, Pa. (George Washington HS) Ralph Friedgen

FREE-jun

DT

6-4

299

So. 1V

Waldorf, Md. (Westlake HS)

DT

6-5

291

Fr.

RS

Woodbine, Md. (South Carroll HS)

S

6-0

195

Sr.

3V

Washington, D.C. (Anacostia HS)

Ray Rychleski Dave Sollazzo

rich-LESS-key so-LAH-zo

WR

5-9

182

So. SQ

Manchester, Md. (North Carroll HS)

Charlie Taaffe

ryhmes with half

92

Brandon Thomas

TE

6-5

223

Fr.

RS

Temple Hills, Md. (Potomac HS/Worcester Academy)

61

Ed Tyler

OG

6-3

312

Jr.

SQ

Franklinville, N.J. (Delsea HS)

12 (d)

Shai Warsaw

QB

6-1

202

Fr.

RS

Sandy Springs, Md. (Sherwood HS)

66

*** Todd Wike

OG

6-3

300

Sr.

3V

Lebanon, Pa. (Lebanon HS)

15

*

Curtis Williams

LB

6-2

199

So. 1V

Huntington Station, N.Y. (Huntington HS)

19

**

Jafar Williams

WR

6-2

195

Jr.

2V

Philadelphia, Pa. (George Washington HS)

40

Madieu Williams

FS

6-1

193

Jr.

RS

Lanham, Md. (Duval HS/Towson)

13

**

Dennard Wilson

S

5-11

186

Jr.

2V

Upper Marlboro, Md. (DeMatha HS)

8 48 46 (d)

Andrew Wojcik Jeremy Wong

LB

6-2

240

Jr.

TR

Fallbrook, Calif. (Fallbrook HS/Palomar CC)

FB

6-0

199

Fr.

RS

Knoxville, Md. (Brunswick HS)

(d) indicates duplicate number; Key: * indicates varsity letters earned; RS indicates redshirted in 2001; SQ indicates on squad in 2001 but did not letter; HS indicates high school; TR indicates transfer.

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