National Signing Day a Success for the Terrapins

Maryland won't find its way into the top 25 of many recruiting rankings, but Maryland has put together a strong class for this year. Currently ranked at #26 nationally by Rivals.com, Maryland has reeled in 6 four-star commits, 16 three-star commits, and 4 2-star commits to round out their roster. Here's the full commitment listing courtesy of the reliable folks at Rivals.com.

I'll have more detailed breakdowns later, but here are my initial thoughts on some of the prospects in this class:

- The late pickup of four-star guard Peter White could turn out to be huge for this team. The lack of depth on the offensive line was a major concern this year, and that's only been hurt by the loss of stalwart Edwin Williams at center. White adds some much needed depth and size to the interior of the line.

- It's going to be very interesting to see who shakes out at the linebacker position. The Terps are losing nearly their entire linebacking corps to graduation this year, and so Friedgen and his staff went out and recruited the position heavily. Thus, Maryland has commitments from seven three-star linebackers. None of these come into College Park with particularly high expectations, so it should be a dogfight to see who cracks the lineup because at least a couple of them will be needed to contribute as true freshmen.

- Friedgen has shown a knack for picking up excellent running backs in the past few years, and this year is no exception. Maryland has gained the commitments of much-sought after Georgia running back D.J. Adams and Good Counsel's own Caleb Porzel. Both are four star players and come in with a good deal of ability, but how they fit into the current rotation is a big question mark. Da'Rel Scott and Davin Meggett had excellent years this year and Da'Rel is entrenched as the No.1 running back. I expect one or both of these incoming backs to redshirt, most likely Adams because Caleb Porzel might be asked to use his reputed 4.3 speed on kickoff or punt returns.

- The additions in the defensive line and defensive backfield were huge for the Terrapins. This past season Maryland was able to generate little if any pass rush on a consistent basis and their pass coverage was suspect. Maryland was able to pick up 2 four star defensive ends in DeOnte Arnett and David Mackall, and a four star cornerback in Travis Hawkins. The Hawkins recruitment in particular was impressive, as Maryland was able to hold off the likes of Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, and Penn State. Very big win for the Terrapins.

More thoughts on this class in the coming weeks, but kudos to Ralph Friedgen and his coaching staff! For a school that is not by any means a 'destination' school, Maryland competed exceedingly well with the major college football powers.