Maryland confident in new starting center Aric Harris

The last player to commit to Maryland as part of the 2021 recruiting class, Hutchinson C.C. transfer center Aric Harris might prove to also be the Terps' most important recruit in the class, at least to start the season.

Maryland spent the winter and spring looking to bolster it's offensive line, either through the transfer portal or the JUCO route, eventually landing on Harris. A JUCO first-team All-American at center this past spring, Harris, along with current Maryland teammate Gereme Spraggins, helped lead Hutchinson C.C. to a NJCAA national title.

Maryland signed Harris with the hope that he could come in and win the starting center job right off the bat, but it was another former JUCO product, Johari Branch, who took the starter snaps early on in fall camp.

It was Harris, however, that was listed as the Terps' starting center when the team released their initial depth chart Tuesday morning ahead of head head coach Mike Locksley's weekly pregame press conference.

"We recruit junior college players because we have voids and we're recruiting them to come play," said Locksley. "So Aric Harris was a great addition and we're very fortunate to get him in here late."

With Harris earning the starting nod at center, it allows Branch, who took the starting snaps at center all throughout spring ball, to move back to his more natural position at guard, where he was a full-time starter for Maryland last season.

"What [Harris] has done is he's been able to add some flexibility to our offensive line," Locksley said. "As you see we've got some guys backing up in spots. So that allows us now where Spencer Anderson would have been our second center and starting at tackle. By signing the center late like we did with Aric Harris, it gives us flexibility to move Johari [Branch] over to the guard position after spending all spring in the center. Which again, we've created depth because you can play both positions. But Aric came in, picked up our system really well, coach [Brian] Braswell and our staff did a really good job of getting them caught up. But it's a testament to his type of mental intelligence and football intelligence he has that within a six-week period of time, has been able to come in here, grasp what we do, kind of be the quarterback up front and it's made us better by having him there and making that his ability to play center.”

The toughest part for Harris throughout camp, according to Locksley, was picking up the playbook and the calls along the line in such a short period of time. And it was Branch's time at center during the spring that really allowed him to help Harris pick things up quickly throughout fall camp.

“[Harris] picked things up really well, really smart football intelligence player and I think he has a comfort level of what we’re doing," said Locksley. "With Johari [Branch] being a center all spring, that’s helped him because they spend time together and he’s been able to coach him through some of the growing pains. I expect [Harris] to jump in and really continue to do a good job for us.”

Beyond learning the playbook and making the calls along the line, the most important part of playing center is the exchange with the quarterback. But Maryland starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa isn't worried about that, regardless of who is in front of him snapping the ball Saturday.

"Aric is a great center, as well as Johari Branch," said Tagovailoa. "Those guys can do it all, if they need to play guard or switch or whatever. But I'm very comfortable with Aric under center. We had a lot of work this offseason and he's been catching on quick."

While Harris will be making his first appearance in a Terps uniform Saturday, left tackle Jaelyn Duncan, left guard Mason Lunsford, right guard Johari Branch and right tackle Spencer Anderson bring a combined 28 career starts into Saturday's opener versus West Virginia, which should help the lone newcomer ease into his starting role.