Returning: Evan Gregory, Spencer Anderson, Austin Fontaine, TJ Bradley, Tyler Hamilton, Tyran Hunt, Ellis McKennie, Sean Christie, Jaelyn Duncan, Marcus Minor, Johnny Jordan, Terrance Davis, Jack Wagman

Incoming: Parris Heath, Mason Lunsford, Marcus Finger

Last season Maryland’s offensive line helped the Terps have one of the strongest rushing attacks in the Big Ten. Averaging 230.2 rushing yards per game and 5.7 yards per carry as a team, Terps running backs enjoyed some stellar blocking up front. This was never more evident than it was in wins against Bowling Green and Illinois in which the Terps rushed for 444 and 431 yards, respectively.

It was a bit of a different story when it came to pass blocking though. Maryland’s offensive line allowed 30 sacks in 2018, tied for third most in the Big Ten. This was while averaging the least amount of pass attempts in the conference by more than 60 dropbacks.

Maryland’s offensive front lost three starters from last year -- Brendan Moore, Derwin Gray, and Damian Prince -- but the unit remains strong because of reinforcements waiting in the wings like Marcus Minor, Johnny Jordan, and Jaelyn Duncan.

Minor and Duncan figure to replace Gray and Prince as bookend tackles, while Jordan looked more than prepared in the spring to take over at center for Moore. Duncan also had himself a strong spring and was named Most Valuable Lineman by the media after the Terps’ annual Red-White Spring Game.

The starting five seem like they might already be sorted out, but there is a lot of talent behind them as well in guys like Evan Gregory, TJ Bradley, Tyran Hunt, and Ellis McKennie. The newcomers -- Parris Heath, Mason Lunsford, and Marcus Finger -- don’t figure to factor into the mix right away, but Heath is the likeliest of the bunch to get an early look with his more college-ready body from the JUCO ranks.

Young, inexperienced, raw. These are some words that could be used to describe redshirt freshman Jaelyn Duncan, but the Terps offensive tackle didn’t appear to fit that mold in the spring. Lining up with the first team the majority of the time, Duncan actually looked like one of the most physically imposing pieces of Maryland’s offensive front.

The 6-foot-5, 335-pounder is a load on the line. And after seeing very limited game action last year, Duncan looks healthy, in shape, and ready to make a major impact on Maryland’s offense. Duncan’s talent and upside were evident while he was at St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.). Besides Maryland, he received offers out of high school from Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Tennessee. A redshirt year to begin his college career might have been the best thing for Duncan, who got to observe and learn from two starting tackles that are now in NFL camps. He was also able to use the time to get his body more college-ready. It all seems to have paid off as Duncan will play a pivotal position for the Terps come fall and looks prepared to do so. He is the only projected starter with zero collegiate starts under his belt, so Duncan could be considered the biggest wildcard of the bunch, but he is also likely the X-factor that will determine how good this unit can be in 2019.

Assuming Duncan is able to step in with zero starting experience and be proficient at his job, there’s no reason to think Maryland’s offensive line won’t be as good as it was last year. In fact, it’s reasonable to think that it could be better, especially in the pass-blocking department.

Gray and Prince were physical specimens but had trouble with pass-blocking assignments at times. Communication along the line as a whole might take some time to gel together with numerous new pieces in place, but if the same first team we saw in spring camp carries over into fall camp, a lot of that chemistry should be formed by the time the season starts.

Sean Christie, Terrance Davis, and Jordan make for a strong core in the middle of the offensive line, but it will be up to Minor and Duncan to hold it all together. If the two former four-stars are able to live up to their projections coming out of high school, the offensive front will be a strength for the Terps in the fall.