For the first time in seemingly years, Maryland gets to add names to their depth chart instead of taking them off. The Terps' released their depth chart for this weekend's clash against Syracuse, and it appears the Terps did exactly what they wanted to during the bye week -- got healthy.
C.J. Brown is back at quarterback, as is Brandon Ross at running back. Nigel King appears to be fully recovered at wide receiver, and has reclaimed the starting spot he lost earlier in the year (due to a combination of health issues and performance issues probably caused by health issues). Starting tight end Dave Stinebaugh is back, as are a number of second-stringers on offense -- wide receivers Daniel Adams and DeAndre Lane, right tackle Nick Klemm, and fullback Tyler Cierski.
There's no word on starting cornerback Jeremiah Johnson, but it would be a surprise if he was unable to go Saturday. Starting safety Anthony Nixon and starting linebacker L.A. Goree are back, however, and another week of recovery could have only helped banged up linebackers Matt Robinson and Alex Twine.
So what does this mean for Maryland? They're obviously not at full strength -- top receivers Stefon Diggs and Deon Long are out, as is perhaps their best defensive player Dexter McDougle (and top pass rusher Yannick Cudjoe-Virgil) -- but they're as close to it as they've been in quite some time.
It also means quite a lot for the players who haven't been listed on the injury reports. Randy Edsall has repeatedly said that by this point of the year, "no one is at 100%." Having two bye weeks in ACC play is a luxury (although it didn't exactly work out last time), and the Terrapins' ability to rest their players ahead of the game most likely to get them bowl eligibility could make the difference come Saturday.
So our final tally? Seven starters returning (if you include Johnson and King), with four backups, most of the players on offense. If you direct your memory to the Clemson game, you may remember a strong defensive performance being let down by the offense. With Maryland's returning firepower this weekend, the game could look very different on Saturday.