Head coach Randy Edsall was at the Greene Turtle in Columbia, Md., Thursday evening for the fifth stop of Terps on Tour, an opportunity to meet and interact with Maryland coaches and student-athletes. Edsall visited with a group of media members prior to the event and offered an offseason update on the program.
The team will open preseason camp on Aug. 6 and should be relatively healthy after losing a number of players during spring practice.
The Terps lost one of their key performers for most of the spring, but he should have ready for camp.
Joe Vellano, one of four captains for the second consecutive year and a 2011 second team All-American, fractured a bone in his foot midway through the spring.
"Joe is doing good," Edsall said. "They've weaned him off the [walking] boot. He's been in the Swim-Ex doing his rehab work. He's progressed really good. [The training staff has] been pleased with what's taken place. He's right on schedule to where we think he needs to be at this point in time."
Defensive lineman Keith Bowers missed most of the spring with heart palpitations and tight end Devonte Campbell suffered a sports hernia injury and missed the spring game.
Bowers and Campbell are now recovered.
Kenny Tate had knee surgery and missed all but four games in 2011.
"Kenny Tate's out doing the workouts --- not 100 percent yet, but is getting there," Edsall said. "He's getting better. Same thing with Tyrek Cheeseboro and Makinton [Dorleant]. All those guys are coming along."
Edsall is hopeful for a complete and healthy squad come August.
"Right now, [the training staff is] telling me we don't anticipate any problems for those guys to be ready to go on Aug. 5 when they report," Edsall said. "There will probably be some discussions that take place once they get here or even before they get here when we go back on Aug. 1 as coaches in terms of there might be some guys we hold to just one practice a day rather than two a day."
The team will be playing on a new surface at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium in 2012.
While full details of the field are expected next week, Edsall is excited about the advantages a new playing surface provides both the program and the University.
"I know we'll practice there on Sundays [during the season] with the workout we have," Edsall. "The other thing that will aid us is if we do get bad weather, we'll practice right there in the stadium because the other [artificial field] won't measure up to what this will."
Holding other events, including high school games, in the stadium is another advantage.
"The thing I like about it is the fact we've already been approached about hosting high school games there," Edsall said. "Between some of the early season things they have --- the I-95 Classic, the Patriot Classic --- to be able to get the outstanding teams that those people bring in for that to either have that or have other games, it's going to be a positive. We also have the ability to have some youth league games there, younger kids. With the way recruiting is nowadays, you get sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade kids on your campus and really get them starting to think about 'This is where I want to end up playing,' I think that's a definite advantage."
The Terps lost one of their key performers for most of the spring, but he should have ready for camp.
Joe Vellano, one of four captains for the second consecutive year and a 2011 second team All-American, fractured a bone in his foot midway through the spring.
"Joe is doing good," Edsall said. "They've weaned him off the [walking] boot. He's been in the Swim-Ex doing his rehab work. He's progressed really good. [The training staff has] been pleased with what's taken place. He's right on schedule to where we think he needs to be at this point in time."
Defensive lineman Keith Bowers missed most of the spring with heart palpitations and tight end Devonte Campbell suffered a sports hernia injury and missed the spring game.
Bowers and Campbell are now recovered.
Kenny Tate had knee surgery and missed all but four games in 2011.
"Kenny Tate's out doing the workouts --- not 100 percent yet, but is getting there," Edsall said. "He's getting better. Same thing with Tyrek Cheeseboro and Makinton [Dorleant]. All those guys are coming along."
Edsall is hopeful for a complete and healthy squad come August.
"Right now, [the training staff is] telling me we don't anticipate any problems for those guys to be ready to go on Aug. 5 when they report," Edsall said. "There will probably be some discussions that take place once they get here or even before they get here when we go back on Aug. 1 as coaches in terms of there might be some guys we hold to just one practice a day rather than two a day."
The team will be playing on a new surface at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium in 2012.
While full details of the field are expected next week, Edsall is excited about the advantages a new playing surface provides both the program and the University.
"I know we'll practice there on Sundays [during the season] with the workout we have," Edsall. "The other thing that will aid us is if we do get bad weather, we'll practice right there in the stadium because the other [artificial field] won't measure up to what this will."
Holding other events, including high school games, in the stadium is another advantage.
"The thing I like about it is the fact we've already been approached about hosting high school games there," Edsall said. "Between some of the early season things they have --- the I-95 Classic, the Patriot Classic --- to be able to get the outstanding teams that those people bring in for that to either have that or have other games, it's going to be a positive. We also have the ability to have some youth league games there, younger kids. With the way recruiting is nowadays, you get sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade kids on your campus and really get them starting to think about 'This is where I want to end up playing,' I think that's a definite advantage."
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