Rogers, D-Line Attempting To Mitigate Concerns About Maryland's Pass Rush
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland conceivably boosted its pass rush with the addition of Clemson transfer Shaq Smith and potentially Ohio State transfer KeAndre Jones, who will man the JACK and outside linebacker spots, respectively. But there are still numerous question marks surrounding the Terps’ front three, which lacks an experienced, proven pocket collapser.
Maryland attempted to mitigate that issue by adding former Alabama defensive end Eyabi Anoma, but the Baltimore native elected to transfer to Houston instead. Which means the Terps are left with three down linemen who have a combined total of 7.5 careersacks, Now, defensive tackle Keiron Howard and nose tackle Olu Oluwatimi will be counted on to eat up blockers and stuff the run, first and foremost, but end Lawtez Rogers will be asked to consistently generate pressure. The redshirt sophomore has played in a total of 10 games the last two seasons, and has one sack to his name.
“I know that offensive and defensive lines are the heart of a team, and I know that we [as a defensive line] have to get the job done. It’s not more pressure on us, but I know we have to play well to have success this year,” Rogers said. “I believe in the system and my teammates around me. We count on each other and work together. It never feels like everyone is counting on me to [get sacks]. We’re going to get the job done together. I honestly don’t feel added pressure.”
Rogers personally feels he’s taken the next step as a defensive lineman, and, more specifically, a rush end. Coming out of Roosevelt High (Greenbelt, Md.), Rogers showed promise with his length; athleticism; and burst. But his footwork, hand placement, rush moves; short-area quickness; flexibility; and get-off all needed work.
Rogers progressed after his redshirt year at Maryland in 2017, and took another stride in 2018, when he figured into the defensive-line rotation.
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“The most improvement for me is how I’ve used my hands better, my footwork and my get off. Those are some things I struggled with last year,” Rogers said. “And as the year went on I feel I got even better. And I think this year I’ll have an even better year.”
The 6-foot-4, 268-pounder has left an impression on the coaching staff. He was singled out by defensive line coach Delbert Cowsette in the spring, and again by defensive coordinator Jon Hoke this August.
“Lawtez is a guy I thought had a really good spring. Him, and really all those guys [on the line], really did a good job improving their gap control, their technique, and understanding of the position,” Hoke said.
Rogers personally praised Cowsette for helping him develop his technique. He also lauded former teammate Byron Cowart, whose job Rogers has assumed. Cowart came to Maryland with the reputation of being an advanced pass-rush specialist, even if the results didn’t materialize at Auburn.
“[Cowart] was like a big brother and looked out for me. I learned a lot of pass-rush moves I didn’t know from him,” Rogers said. “Now he’s in the League, so I think he knew what he was talking about (laughs).
“And Coach Cowsette is a great coach, a great guy, and a great leader and motivator. He’s brought a lot to us as a defensive line. We trust him and what he has to tell us. He was a big name at Maryland and I feel like he’s been really good for me and good for us. He has a winning mindset.”
Cowsette has been preaching effort and consistency since he arrived in College Park during the winter. The defensive line coach believes his message has begun to resonate considering he’s seen a performance uptick across the board – from Rogers and his linemates.
“We’re going to be disciplined, we’re going to run to the football, we’re going to play with great technique, and we’re going to be physical,” Cowsette said. “We preach that every game, and the guys are getting there.”
Rogers concurred, and he’s confident Maryland will have an effective pass rush in 2019. Even though the Terps lost Cowart and BUCK Jesse Aniebonam. And even though, on paper, there are even more concerns about UMD’s ability to generate pressure than last year.
“Our pass rush struggled last year, but I think we enhanced that with the guys we’ve added and with how we’ve all gotten better,” Rogers said. “Overall, our mindset is just effort and effort off the ball. If we show effort every time we line up, and if we do that against every opponent I feel like we’ll have a good chance [to be successful].”