Lost in Maryland's 9-4 season was a defense that played well enough to win but was kicked around statiscitally: the Terps placed near the bottom of the ACC in most defensive categories last year--8th against the pass and 10th against the run, overall and in scoring.
This year's unit returns six starters, including preseason all-ACC linebacker Erin Henderson. While the rest of the front seven will have a different look with three new starters, all eyes are on a revamped secondary.
Not only did Maryland lose starters Josh Wilson and Marcus Wimbush, but cornerback Isaiah Gardner is coming off shoulder surgery that robbed him of spring practice and Christian Varner is making the shift from free to strong safety. Entering camp, J.J. Justice takes Varner's place at free safety (the senior tied for the team lead with two interceptions last year) while Kevin Barnes is the early favorite at the other cornerback position: Barnes and Justice's development hinges on how quickly Gardner completes his recovery and how smoothly Varner adjusts to a different position.
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