Sophomore Guard Austin Fontaine Develops as Key Piece Along Offensive Line
There are not many teams that can remain confident at one position after turning to an underclassman to fill the role of a three-year starter, but the film that Austin Fontaine put together in year one on the field provides reassurance along the offensive line.
The class of 2018 four-star product ended his recruitment on the morning of Maryland’s spring game heading into his senior season, committing on the same day as teammate Evan Gregory, edging out Ohio State and Penn State in the process. The soft-spoken 6-foot-3, 320-pound lineman played on both sides of the line at DeMatha but his ceiling along the defensive line touted him as an impact player for the Terps’ future. After dropping 15 pounds during his redshirt season, Fontaine was tabbed as a potential disrupter in the two-deep heading into 2019.
But in Mike Locksley’s first spring ball as head coach, offensive tackle TJ Bradley went down with a season-ending knee injury that vaulted Fontaine to the offensive side of the ball. “He’s one of the guys who has the athletic abliity, the ability to bend and that has played the position,” Locksley said at the time.
That move proved to be critical during conference play last year after senior right guard Terrance Davis played in just four games, paving the way for Fontaine to shine. He appeared in all 12 games with six starts at right guard with the first coming in the thrashing road victory over Rutgers. His athleticism was evident when pulling outside to pave the way for the run game as Fontaine showed his improved upper body strength in run protection.
Though the offensive line in 2019 was a glaring weakness on the team, the unit does return three full-time starters from last season while Fontaine’s experience will serve him well going into year two. The sophomore serves as a point of optimism for a unit that struggled with a consistent starting five just a season ago. Now, Fontaine will likely step in as the full-time starter at right guard where he’ll be tasked with filling the shoes left by his former high school and college teammate. While logistics remain unanswered just weeks heading into the season, it remains unclear how viable a season this fall truly is, but when Maryland does eventually play,
