After signing with Maryland as a four-star prospect out of St. Frances (MD) in the 2022 cycle, offensive tackle Andre Roye gave fans immediate optimism for as a local product. On the field, landing the local blue-chip recruit by flipping him from Penn State and holding off USC gave the Terps juice to address a major position of need.
Roye shed nearly 50 pounds during his first season with the program as he reshaped his body, but adding mass to his frame was the next step as he spent time behind current Raiders offensive tackle DJ Glaze and Gottlieb Ayedze. The 6-foot-6 tackle appeared in five games as a true freshman before sliding in during the Indiana game during his sophomore season, but it was the following week when Roye began building his confidence of becoming a starter in the Big Ten.
After Corey Bullock went down vs. Ohio State, Ayedze shifted inside to guard as Roye stepped in as the right tackle through the second half vs. Ohio State.
“I would say going into that game, I played a lot and it kind of showed me I can really do it at this level,” Roye told IBG. “I’ve never been one to doubt myself or anything but just being in that game, going against that opponent and just being out there and there not being a drop-off at my position just kind of showed me like if I get everything straight and get everything good off the field, then I can be a good competitor in the Big Ten.”
Roye went on to play in four of Maryland’s final five games in 2023 to springboard him into the offseason, but becoming a full-time starter wasn’t a certainty despite both Glaze and Ayedze heading to the NFL.
Maryland turned to the transfer portal to restock the unit with Josh Kaltenberger, Aliou Bah and Alan Herron joining the program in January before Isaiah Wright arrived in June. Wright’s season-ending injury during his third summer workout opened the door right back up for Roye, but his time spent with Ryan Davis, head strength & conditioning coach, positioned him into the impact role he worked toward.
“As soon as the offseason started, me and [Ryan Davis] got into it, got right to it. My lift time, I was the only offensive lineman in there because of my class schedule so it would just be me and RD, every day, one-on-one for like six, seven months straight,” Roye said.
That offseason schedule helped Roye add nearly 30 pounds heading into the 2024 season.
“When it’s you and the head strength coach every day and you’re just grinding every day one-on-one just building that connection, I didn’t have a choice but it was fun. It wasn’t like it was labor. It was me and him every day.”
Once fall camp began, Roye took the field at left tackle with the first-team and never looked back as the unit worked to gel together under a trio of position coaches.
“From the spring, we didn’t really know what our identity was going to be or how we’d be meshing because in the spring, the team is still kind of split. But as soon as fall camp came, we knew what the depth chart was going to be, we knew who to work with. We all communicate well with each other. Even the younger guys, we all talk with each other. We all coach other. Even the ones who are starting, not starting, fighting for the job, we still help each other. We still ask questions. We still get together outside of meeting times and practice, we go out with each other. We mesh well, we bond well and we just got to get it all clicking and put it all together on the field.”
The unit opened the season with signs of promise after allowing just one sack in each of the first four games as the run protection remained a work in progress, but last week’s road game opened the door for more room to grow. Indiana registered a season-high five sacks, including a pair on third down, as the offense struggled to find its footing.
“This bye week, we came off the tough [loss] and we knew we had work to do from the moment the game was over. We were mad just how the season has been going, but we know we’ve got way more left in the tank, way more to show. This whole bye week, we’ve been going hard and changing up technique, trying to find what works for us so hopefully we come out of it looking like a completely different team,” Roye added.
“We’re trying to get everything clicking right now. I know this season, we haven’t been doing as good but we never, right now, we’re not scared. We’re not worried. We know it’s going to click, it’s just a matter of when.”
Maryland is on a bye this week and will host Northwestern next Friday, Oct. 11 for an 8 PM kickoff.
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