Trio of Terps Able To Revamp Defensive Line in 2020
Name | Class | Height | Weight | 2019 Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lawtez Rogers | Junior | 6'4" | 268 | Appeared in ten games, two starts; eight tackles, one sack and one PBU |
Sam Okuayinonu | Senior | 6'1" | 285 | Appeared in 11 games, 31 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and one sack |
Anthony Booker Jr | RS-Freshman | 6'3" | 312 | Three tackles, one TFL |
Position: Defensive line
Maryland loses defensive tackle Keiron Howard from last year’s roster as the unit hopes for significant improvement in 2020. With senior Oluwaseun Oluwatimi assuming the starting nose tackle spot, the Terps will look to a trio of edge rushers to help shore up the defensive line. That include defensive ends Lawtez Rogers and Sam Okuayinonu who will need to provide consistent production on the outside.
For Rogers, a long, athletic pass-rusher out of Eleanor Roosevelt (MD), his measurables and pure athleticism tabbed him as a raw, yet high-ceiling defensive end that would take time to round out his game. After redshirting his first season and playing two games as a redshirt freshman, 2019 was pegged as the year that Rogers would have his chance to put it all together as he appeared in ten games, including a pair of starts in the first two weeks of the season. Rogers and veteran edge rusher Brett Kulka ultimately split time at the position to close the 2019 season, but he emergence of Okuayinonu gives Maryland an experienced replacement for Howard into 2020.
The 2019 signee appeared in all but one game last fall as he registered 31 tackles and a sack as he proved to be a pivotal signing for head coach Mike Locksley as he closed the 2019 class. The former juco prospect out of Mesabi Range CC is an example of why the staff has leaned on the junior college route to replenish their weaknesses and retake control in the trenches. The 6-foot-1, 285-pound lineman has the frame to move along the line to help the defense alter their blitz packages, vaulting Okuayinonu into an impact role.
The senior isn’t the only impact signee in the trenches from the 2019 class as redshirt freshman Anthony Booker is looking to make noise. The Ohio native was a top target for the previous Maryland staff and was one of the lone holdover targets for Locksley and company to close out the 2019 cycle. The 6-foot-3, 312-pound lineman picked the Terps over Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Kentucky and Indiana as he spent the following season adjusting to the college speed.
Booker made three appearances last season as he registered three tackles and one tackle for loss, giving him a chance to preserve his redshirt as he adjusted his body. Now, Booker comes in as one of the few underclassmen with a chance to make noise within the two-deep as his size also gives defensive line coach Brian Williams a chance to retool the front three.
Along with Oluwatimi, the trio could give the Terps a chance to recontrol the trenches and improve upon the Big Ten-worst defense a season ago. Defensive line play could be the biggest X-factor for the Terps for the upcoming season in order for Maryland to get back to bowl eligibility and an emergence from the trio would go a long way in getting there.
