Project 2014: The Offensive Line

Image Credit: The Diamondback

The Maryland offensive line has gone through quite a few changes over the past few years, and has struggled to find consistency in most of those seasons. Last season, expectations were fairly low for this unit, but they performed fairly well given the circumstances. Center Sal Conaboy has been one of the few stabilizing forces on the line over the past few years, and this will be his final season snapping the ball for Maryland quarterbacks.

Last season saw starting left tackle Mike Madaras leave the program in the middle of the year and replacement left tackle Moise Larose getting injured after one start, forcing a lot of changes and shifting along the line. The unit didn’t suffer any major injuries, but the departure of Madaras really shook up the lineups. Starting left guard De’Onte Arnett was the lone senior starter on the line last season, and his spot will need to be replaced. Luckily, the Terps have a ton of high-profile offensive line talent in this year’s recruiting class, and those players will be relied on heavily in 2014.

2013 Rushing Rank: 87th (144.6 yards/game)

2013 Receiving Rank: 43rd (248.5 yards/game)

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Sal Conaboy – Redshirt Senior
2013 Statistics: 13 games played, 13 games started

Center is always a very important position on the football field. The center is the one who really brings an entire offensive line together, and when an offensive line plays together, the whole offense flows much more smoothly. Luckily for the Maryland Terrapins, Sal Conaboy has started at center for quite a few years in a row, and has been a great stable force in the middle of their offensive line. Not only is he a very capable blocker, especially in the run game, he is also a great leader. He enters 2014 as the clear starter at center, and the Terps will have to work on finding a replacement for him in 2015.

Silvano Altamirano – Redshirt Senior
2013 Statistics: 3 games played, 0 games started

The other graduating senior on the 2014 offensive line is Silvano Altamirano, the junior college transfer from San Diego Mesa College. He saw his action in mop-up duty last season, as he served as the backup left guard to De’Onte Arnett all year. But Arnett has graduated, and Altamirano is currently competing with former backup center Evan Mulrooney for the starting job at left guard. He fits perfectly into Mike Locksley’s system, as he is a very athletic lineman who can get to the second level with ease. Having a year under his belt should really help him in the competition, and I expect him to win the job by the time the season starts.

Evan Mulrooney – Redshirt Junior
2013 Statistics: 8 games played, 0 games started

Speaking of Evan Mulrooney, he will compete with Silvano Altamirano for the starting left guard job after spending last season as the backup center to Sal Conaboy. He saw his action in both mop-up duty and on special teams in 2013, but has a chance to see a lot more playing time in 2014. He follows a trend of Maryland centers who have shifted to left guard, the most recent being Bennett Fulper, who moved to left guard in 2012 for his senior season to make room at center for Sal Conaboy. Mulrooney competed for the starting center job in 2013, but ultimately lost to Conaboy. I expect him to be the backup left guard to Silvano Altamirano in 2014, but his senior season could be spent at either left guard or center, as both starters at those positions are seniors this year.

Larry Mazyck – Redshirt Junior
2013 Statistics: N/A (Iowa Western Community College)

One of the three high-profile offensive linemen brought in by Randy Edsall and his staff in 2014, Larry Mazyck is an absolute beast of a man. Standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing in at 340 pounds, his size alone makes him intimidating to opposing defensive linemen. But when you pair that size with his footwork and blocking abilities, he makes for a perfect starting left tackle. Similar to 2013 junior college recruit Deon Long, Mazyck started his collegiate career at New Mexico with offensive coordinator Mike Locksley before heading to Iowa Western Community College. He was expected to enroll at College Park for the spring semester, but an odd problem with his transcripts forced him to wait until the fall. While that is an unfortunate setback, I still see him starting at left tackle when Maryland opens its season in late August.

Ryan Doyle – Redshirt Junior
2013 Statistics: 13 games played, 13 games started

When starting left tackle Mike Madaras left the program abruptly in the middle of last season and Moise Larose went down with an injury, there were some changes made along the offensive line to compensate. Perhaps one of the most significant changes was moving Ryan Doyle from right tackle to left tackle. Luckily, he is a versatile player who was just waiting for his chance to show his talents. He surprised many people by winning the starting right tackle job out of fall camp, as most projected senior Nick Klemm to win that job. He performed fairly well, but will likely spend most of his time on the bench in 2014 due simply to the better talent that is coming in. I project him to be the backup right tackle to Damian Prince this season.

Andrew Zeller – Redshirt Junior
2013 Statistics: 13 games played, 4 games started

Another part of the offensive line shift that occurred after Mike Madaras left the program and Moise Larose’s injury was Andrew Zeller sliding in to start at right guard. He was projected to start there before the season started, but lost his job to freshman Michael Dunn, a former walk-on. It was certainly a surprise to see Zeller spend most of his playing time on special teams, but eventually he got his chance to start. He did fairly well, and was part of the line that ran all over one of the best run defenses in the country in Virginia Tech. But despite all of that, I see Zeller competing with Michael Dunn for the backup right guard position behind Derwin Gray this season.

Stephen Grommer – Junior
2013 Statistics: N/A

Sneaking his way onto the two-deep depth chart this season after Evan Mulrooney’s position switch to left guard is junior center Stephen Grommer. He has never seen game action with the Terps as of yet, but may get his chance this season behind Sal Conaboy. Perhaps the biggest moment of his career will be the 2015 season, when he will get a chance to show that he can be the starting center for this team. If he can do well enough, he may be able to keep Evan Mulrooney at left guard while they spend their senior seasons starting alongside each other. For now, Grommer will see his playing time in mop-up duty behind Sal Conaboy.

Michael Dunn – Redshirt Sophomore
2013 Statistics: 13 games played, 13 games started

One of the most surprising stories of the 2013 season was former walk-on Michael Dunn getting the starting nod at right guard over presumed starter Andrew Zeller. Dunn was awarded a scholarship just before the season began, and impressed the coaches enough to get him a starting job. After Mike Madaras’ departure and Moise Larose’s injury, Dunn shifted to right tackle to fill Ryan Doyle’s spot after he shifted over to left tackle. While Dunn didn’t have the most impressive season last year, he did enough to keep the line intact. However, most of his 2014 season will likely be spent on the bench, as I project him to be the backup right guard to Derwin Gray.

Moise Larose – Sophomore
2013 Statistics: 5 games played, 1 game started

After Mike Madaras left the program in the middle of the 2013 season, the Terps had a void at left tackle. That void was soon filled by true freshman Moise Larose. He started that one game against Virginia, and did fairly well given the circumstances. However, he was injured in that game and never started another game the rest of the season. If Nick Klemm had not been injured as well, Larose likely would never had started, but he just happened to be the next man up in that situation. It is possible that he could serve a redshirt season in 2014, as he doesn’t project to see much playing time. I currently project him as the team’s backup left tackle to Larry Mazyck.

Derwin Gray – Freshman
2013 Statistics: N/A

The Terps were expecting Gray to play a role on their team in 2013, but academic issues forced him to Fork Union Military Academy for a year. Luckily, his commitment stayed solid to Maryland, and he is currently enrolled in classes for the Spring semester. He is the only offensive lineman in the 2014 class to enroll early, allowing him to get a head start on players like Larry Mazyck and Damian Prince. He is a 4-star recruit who is listed as an offensive tackle, but I think he can play guard as well. Randy Edsall’s spring depth chart lists Gray as a left tackle, but I project him to end up at right guard when the season begins.

Damian Prince – Freshman
2013 Statistics: N/A

The crown jewel of the recruiting class of 2014, Damian Prince committed to Maryland in grand style on National Signing Day. The 5-star recruit out of Bishop McNamara High School has the talent to make an immediate impact in College Park, and is a player I’m sure the coaches can’t wait to get onto the practice field. Most analysts believe that he will end up at left tackle, but with the presence of Larry Mazyck, I have projected him to start at right tackle in 2014. I think this plays to his current strength, which is run blocking, and allows him to sure up his pass protection a bit until Mazyck graduates. I fully expect to see Prince starting at left tackle for the Terps in 2016, and perhaps 2015 depending on the circumstances. Regardless of which side he plays on, he’ll be the most talented offensive lineman the Terps have had in a long time, and gives fans a reason to be excited heading into the Big Ten.