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After his indefinite suspension at the end of last season – reportedly for a year – Maryland running back Wes Brown seemed likely to be done with the program. But the Terps are back at spring practice this week, and Brown is with the team and practicing, giving the Terps a surprising jolt if Brown sticks around for the season.
I wasn't able to get to practice today, but Josh Stirn of Inside Maryland Sports was there:
Brown is still on the team and has been a full participant in practice. The physical running back was suspended by the old coaching regime in November -- for the second time in his college career -- and it looked unlikely he'd stick around with only one more year of eligibility. Durkin didn't directly address his status, but he's back on the roster and you can likely add him into Maryland's suddenly loaded backfield mix.
If Brown is still with Maryland when the season starts, it's a boon for the Terps. The length of his suspension was never made official, and it's not clear when he'll be eligible to play for Maryland again.
But if Brown is eligible, the Terps' running back depth chart is loaded. The Terps have rising sophomore Ty Johnson, who showed a lot as a true freshman last season, and also added Virginia Tech graduate transfer Trey Edmunds. The Terps' backfield depth looked interesting a few weeks ago, and adding Brown to the mix gives Maryland three experienced options. All have plenty of talent, too, and could play big roles given the pass-challenged nature of the Terps' offense.
The Terps are building up a formidable offensive line. They had decent success running the ball last year, but that was in large part because of quarterback Perry Hills' impromptu scrambles when other teams broke down his pocket. With a strong stable of running backs and an improving line, there are good tidings for the running game in 2016.