Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen went looking for linemen, a couple receivers and a punter. He traveled from Canada to Georgia to sign 25 prospects Wednesday. But most of all, Friedgen wanted players from successful high schools.
“They know how to win,” he said. “They perform when it’s meaningful. They want to be back there again.”
National Signing Day has become some sort of cult celebration. An annual culmination of shameless wooing of high school seniors with press conferences, Internet chat sites and fans salivating over a shameless meat market. Even Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly delayed naming his new coach to avoid conflicting with signing day.
It’s hard to get excited over signing day given Friedgen expects only a few of the baby Terps to play this fall. It’s more likely this class is three years away from making an impact, which is what Friedgen wants. Playing a lot of freshmen usually means the team stinks.
Today’s recruits pick colleges as a primer for the NFL despite less than one percent reaching the pros. No wonder the football factories like Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Southern Cal and Notre Dame dominated recruiting Web site rivals.com’s rankings. The wiser players and parents find programs like Friedgen’s with high graduation rates.
“I’m looking for kids who want to be successful in life,” Friedgen said. “I don’t care how many stars they’ve got [on their scoutrankings.] It’s what kind of heart do they have.”
Maryland’s recruiting class ranked eighth among ACC schools in two polls. Then again, Duke was higher than ACC champion Wake Forest so the rankings aren’t exactly a science.
At least Maryland kept Penn State from pilfering a handful of local players like last year. Adding Jemal Griffin as the Terps assistant recruiting coordinator to concentrate in-state was a smart move. Friedgen’s old boss Bobby Ross revived Maryland in the 1980s using the same tactic. The Washington and Baltimore suburbs typically produce as many ACC players as the state of Florida so it’s best to stay home when recruiting. Maryland signed six locals compared to five from New Jersey and four from southern Virginia.
The Terps only signed one top 10 in-state player — Forestville High All-Examiner tight end Devonte Campbell — but they stole a couple players from the shadow of Rutgers and retained offensive/defensive tackle Bruce Campbell, who spent last season at Hargrave Military Academy. Campbell’s 6-foot-7 frame that currently carries 272 pounds means he’s the left anchor one day soon. The Terps also gained linebacker Derek Drummond of Pomfret, Md. and H.D. Woodson High defensive lineman Carl Russell.
Was it a successful signing day? Ask again in a few years.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
