Offensive line protection to be pivotal as Maryland opens Big Ten play at Wisconsin

When Maryland visits Wisconsin on Saturday to open Big Ten Conference play, much will be made about the quarterback battle — specifically, former Terrapin Billy Edwards potentially starting against his old team, now led by star freshman Malik Washington.


Though they may lead their respective offenses, a more consequential focus point is in the trenches — a place Maryland has tried to modify on offense for a long time and may finally be close to ideal.

“We’ve increased our length, and we’ve increased our size in both lines of scrimmage,” Maryland coach Mike Locksley said. “We may not have the depth just yet, but … we are starting to have the size.”

Though the league is now bicoastal, the heart of the Big Ten is still dictated by power football, with the Iowas, Nebraskas and Wisconsins of the world serving as the prototype.

“[Wisconsin’s] a typical Big Ten physicality that comes with their brand, and it’s what we’ve tried to position ourselves to become more like,” Locksley said.

Besides 295-pound sophomore center Michael Hershey, Maryland’s offensive line averages 320 pounds, and all are transfers into the program. As it was last season, the right side is anchored by Aliou Bah (Georgia) and Alan Herron (Shorter) at guard and tackle, respectively, with Isaiah Wright (Buffalo) and Rahtrel Perry (Central Connecticut) slotting in to the left of Hershey this season as starters.

Primarily, they’ve provided a clean pocket for Washington to execute and stay upright, with his 773 yards passing ranking 30th among all Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks this season. On the ground, Maryland’s run game has seen fits and starts, with an average of 116 yards per game mostly through accumulation, not big plays. The Terrapins were the final Power Four team to record a rushing touchdown, notching three in a Sept. 13 rout of Towson.

“Everybody knows that we have athletes and we can throw the ball, but in the Big Ten, you’ve gotta win running the football in tough environments during tough times with tough weather,” Locksley said. “And so we’re working and we’ve started to build, again, our team to fit that type of team that we’re going to have to have at some point.”

Overall, the unit has looked more Big Ten-ready than in years past, when Maryland would frequently rotate younger players through in a difficult pursuit of increasing depth and gaining experience. 

“It takes time,” Perry said. “It just takes a lot of time and effort, a lot of off-the-field hours, spending time in the film room, spending extra time on the field, making sure we have our techniques down pat, studying our opponents, studying what we got to do, what our assignments are.”

Protection and pressure will be on display Saturday in the Big Ten opener for both schools (noon, NBC). Washington has yet to be sacked in Maryland’s first three games and has thrown the second-most passing yards by a true freshman since 2019. The Badgers, however, bring senior and graduate leadership across its defensive front, which averages 315 pounds and has held three-straight opponents under 75 yards rushing, to the tune of just 1.93 yards per carry.

“They’re a really sound defense. They’re going to stick to their rules and be who they are,” Washington said. “That’s an advantage for them, and then that’s something we can also take advantage of, just because we might get an idea of what they’re presenting. But they’re a really sound defense.”