Maryland football defensive lineman Brett Kulka is out for the year with a knee injury, a team spokesperson announced Tuesday. The senior had surgery Monday.
Kulka did not dress for the Terps’ game against then-No. 15 Michigan on Saturday. The Edinboro, Pennsylvania., native recorded seven tackles in four games this year. He recovered a fumble late in Maryland’s season-opening win over then-No. 23 Texas, one of three fourth-quarter turnovers that sealed the victory.
Last season, Kulka started one game and notched a career-high 30 tackles, including 3.5 for loss. He registered a career-high six tackles against Northwestern last year.
When defensive end Byron Cowart transferred from Auburn to Maryland, it cut into Kulka’s playing time. Once ranked by ESPN and Rivals as the top recruit in the country, Cowart didn’t make much of an impact at Auburn and departed after three games in 2017 to join the Terps. This year, Cowart has supplied 17 tackles and forced a fumble against Minnesota.
Kulka was a captain for the first three games of the season. With Kulka absent, redshirt freshman Lawtez Rogers will likely step in as Cowart’s backup. Rogers had three tackles in the Terps’ win over Bowling Green and played against Michigan on Saturday.
Kulka is the third Maryland player to undergo a season-ending surgery this season. Running back Lorenzo Harrison and quarterback Max Bortenschlager underwent knee and ankle surgeries, respectively, earlier this year.
