Profiles In Terpage - A Countdown to the Football Season: Walk-on Defensive Linemen

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Today we profile the walk-on defensive linemen.

Joe Rosenblatt, Freshman (RS), Defensive End, #63; Ty Tucker, Freshman (RS), Defensive End, #78; Azubuike Ukandu, Freshman (RS), Nose Tackle, #96

via grfx.cstv.com via grfx.cstv.com via grfx.cstv.com

Stats:

Height: 6'2"s across the board

Weight: 280; 260; 290

Twitter: None for Rosenblatt; @tyveculas; @double_cincos

Collegiate Stats: N/A

High School Stats (Senior Year): Tucker had 68 tackles (15 for a loss) and seven sacks; Can't find either of the others

Recruiting Ratings: Tucker and Rosenblatt each had two stars

High School: Good Counsel; Walkersville; Towson

Hometown: Ellicott City, Md.; Walkersville, Md.; Towson, Md.

High School Highlights:

How'd he get to College Park?

Rosenblatt was a two-year starter at Good Counsel who also was on the track and field team before going to Georgetown last season. After redshirting a year there, he has transferred to Maryland. In high school, he was named to the First Team MD Varsity All-Private School team and was named second team All-DCSportsfan.com. In addition to Georgetown, he was offered by Bryant, Monmouth and New Hampshire and received interest from Michigan and Notre Dame.

Tucker was offered by a host of FCS schools, including Georgetown and Lehigh, and even one FBS school (Rice) but chose to come to Maryland as a preferred walk-on. He was a first team all-state defensive tackle his senior year and was an All-American wrestler. Last season he redshirted and played on the scout team.

Ukandu is a walk-on from Towson High School who redshirted last season. An article from 2011 cites impressive weightlifting numbers: 360 on the bench, 470 on the squat and a 525-pound deadlift. He was offered by Bryant and Old Dominion and received interest from Stanford and Boston College.

Nickname:

"Rosensplat"; "TT"; and "Zuby" (it's his Twitter name)

Career Highlight:

Making the squad.

Dream Season:

Making the field.

2013 Prospectus:

All three are at the bottom of their respective positions on the depth chart, but that doesn't mean that we won't see any of the walk-on defensive linemen this season. Rosenblatt will likely have to sit out due to transfer rules (as Yannick Cudjoe-Virgil did last season, even with switching divisions), so let's focus on the other two.

Tucker is behind Roman Braglio and Quinton Jefferson at one of the two defensive end positions, but barring any incoming freshmen playing (which Randy Edsall has shown he is not afraid of doing), Tucker is the fifth defensive end in the rotation. Injuries, poor play, and straight fatigue will allow at least five defensive ends to play, so it's up to Tucker to show that the playing time should be his and not one of the new guys's.

Ukandu is fourth on the nose tackle depth chart, and his situation is a bit more difficult. While the starting situation is a bit in flux, as Darius Kilgo is not a known commodity and beyond him there's no one who is, Nate Clarke and Kingsley Opara both have a strong claim to the nose tackle throne. Ukandu will have to fight with another walk-on, junior Alex Walker, to get any sort of playing time.

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