Football? Why yes, spring practices have opened. Here are notes. Some of these will appear in a story but I wanted to get them to you now:
--Maryland played 10 true freshmen and 14 redshirt freshmen last season. Coaches are counting on improvement as sophomores. "We have to benefit from playing young kids last year. They shouldn't be thinking so much, they should be reacting more," coach Ralph Friedgen said.
--Jamarr Robinson enters the season as the favorite to start at quarterback. Robinson, a redshirt sophomore last season, replaced injured senior Chris Turner, starting two games and playing in seven.
"You've to say he's the starter," said offensive coordinator James Franklin. But Franklin said Robinson is not "entrenched," leaving room for competition from a handful of other quarterbacks in camp.
Franklin likes mobile quarterbacks. He said he's not going to revamp the offense to suit Robinson. But he indicated he will find ways to use his quickness. He said he appreciates quarterbacks such as Robinson who can turn a potential sack into even a modest gain.
--The offensive line will again be a key. It struggled last season. The line loses two starters – Bruce Campbell and Phil Costa. Paul Pinegar, a former walk-on who has played guard and tackle, is moving to center to replace Costa. One lineman, Lamar Young, who will be a redshirt junior, is out this spring while recovering from shoulder surgery. Also out are defensive linemen Isaiah Ross (knee) and Carl Russell (shoulder).
--Linebacker Drew Gloster has been switched to the defensive line. He's a former tight end, so position changes are in his vocabulary.