Maryland Football: Offensive, defensive line improvement highlight early stages of fall camp

Maryland is only a few days into its fall camp, and a few players have already stepped up on both sides of the ball so far in early drills. While burning questions linger during camp, fans and pundits are looking for answers to these early indicators.

Who will be the starting quarterback in week one against Florida Atlantic?
Who will be the primary backups to Nolan Ray?
Will the young receivers step up behind Jalil Farook and Octavian Smith Jr.?
Who will step up on the defense front?

As for the week one starter, Maryland head coach Mike Locksley told reporters during his press conference at Maryland Media Day that the starter will not be revealed until the Sunday before the week one game against Florida Atlantic. The favorites are freshman Malik Washington and transfer Justyn Martin from UCLA.

Although the fans and boosters would want the fans to start Washington right away, and with his talent and charisma in the huddle , it's not hard to see why. However, that is not exactly the consensus among the players on the team, who also like Martin, which couldn’t be the same for the quarterback room last year.

"Justyn is very likable. Unlike [some of the backups] last year. Very easygoing and inclusive. The team roots for both of them,” a player told InsideMDSports.

Nolan Ray is the leading returning rusher from a year ago, and the redshirt sophomore is expected to be the starting running back to begin the season. However, the staff also likes Dejuan Williams, who had only eight carries for 46 yards and a touchdown. Freshmen Iverson Howard and Bud Coombs have impressed and are both looking to work their way into the running back rotation as the season goes along.

The top two receivers are Farooq and Smith, not to mention tight end Julian Fleming will be the starter this season, but the answers at the No. 3 and No. 4 receivers remain, as Baltimore product and dream Ryan Manning and Tennessee transfer Kaleb Webb are the top candidates to fill that role. Freshman Justin Devaughn could help contribute during the season, and Zymear Smith could be a wild card in both the running and passing attack.

Along the offensive line, two players, Alan Herron and Aliou Jah, struggled with adjusting to playing Big Ten football after transferring from Shorter (D II) and Georgia, with Herron getting used to the step up in competition, and Jah, with more playing experience, has impressed coaches this offseason, and the returning Isiah Wright looks ready, and Jaron Gilcrest seems like he is ready to plug in and play early in the season.

The defensive line remains a question mark, but two players are standing out, a source told 247Sports.

“I think Dillan Fontus is going to sprout wings, and Cam Rice is very good.”

Fontus, a junior from Averne, NY, played in all 12 games and had nine tackles in 2024. Rice, a transfer from Ohio, recorded 30 tackles (8.5 tackles for loss) and three sacks last season for the Bobcats. Freshman blue-chip imports Zahir Mathis and Friendship Collegiate Academy's Bryce Jenkins will look to make an impact, along with North Carolina transfer Joel Starlings.

MORE: Maryland battling Michigan, Notre Dame, and other elites for 5-star receiver

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