The one long-term camp injury Maryland dealt with was defensive tackle Joe Vellano‘s stress fracture in his right foot.
His return might be further away than expected.
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“It was a bigger break than what they thought,” coach Ralph Friedgen said.
Vellano’s original prognosis was that he might be able to return for the Oct. 3 meeting with Clemson. That would have had him shelved for six weeks.
Go ahead and tack three more weeks onto that —- at least.
“They moved it back to the Duke game [on Oct. 24],” Friedgen said. “I worry about how fast he’s going to be ready after missing all this time. I think what they’re telling me is he’s going to be ready to play for Duke.”
Still, Vellano hasn’t practiced in more than a month, and foot injuries have a way of lingering longer than anticipated. His return would certainly add to Maryland’s defensive line depth, but at this point Maryland is probably best-served viewing any contribution he can make as a bonus.
—- Patrick Stevens
