Spring practice will be here before you know it. What you should know before it starts is what position battles are on tap for your team.

With that in mind, we're taking a look at some spring competitions to watch for each Big Ten team. We'll key on two to three spots for each squad and give you the outlook. Let's turn to Maryland:

1. Wide receiver: The Terrapins' top two targets from last year are both gone, as Deon Long was a senior and Stefon Diggs jumped to the NFL. This could be the time for the Jacobs brothers to shine. Levern Jacobs returns from a suspension, while Taivon Jacobs is back from an injury that robbed him of most of 2014. Marcus Leak also had some moments last year, while the coaching staff is high on Juwann Winfree. The fight for playing time and receptions should be intense.

2. Defensive line: This is where Maryland was hit hardest by graduation, as it lost four of its top six players on the D-line, including starters Andre Monroe, Darius Kilgo and Keith Bowers. Quinton Jefferson returns from an injury to bring some experience at defensive end while reserve Roman Braglio could be ready to start. There will be competition at nose tackle and for all the backup spots. The team's lone early enrollee in the 2015 class is a defensive lineman, Oseh Saine.

3. Linebacker: The Terps were very senior-heavy in their defensive front seven by the end of the year, and there will be plenty of jockeying for roles at linebacker. Yannick Ngakoue is a lock to start, and Jermaine Carter Jr. looks ready for an expanded presence. Abner Logan returns from a suspension, and Jesse Aniebonam was one of the jewels of Maryland's 2014 recruiting class. Jalen Brooks should enter the mix as well. The front seven on defense will be remodeled, but Randy Edsall has some good talent to work with.