Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen was pleased with the talent he landed in his 2008 recruiting class, but he was even more impressed with the character his team acquired with the 18 players who signed letters of intent on Wednesday to play football in College Park this fall.
“I just think it?s very, very important to get people who not only want to be good football players, but want to graduate from college,” Friedgen said. “Where my disconnect comes is if I want a guy to graduate more than he wants to graduate.”
Friedgen?s recruiting class includes five All-Americans and nine players from either Maryland or the District.
Friedgen mentioned he?d like to have landed another cornerback and linebacker, but is very happy with the depth acquired for the defensive line.
But national analysts aren?t that high on the newest group of Terrapins. Maryland?s class is ranked 32nd by overall by Rivals.com and 50th out of 135 schools by Scout.com, and both recruiting services rank Maryland in either the middle of the pack or near the bottom compared to the classes amassed by fellow Atlantic Coast Conference schools.
Miami and Clemson led the ACC with 10 players who are ranked among the top 150 nationally, according to ESPN, with Florida State getting five. Miami had the No. 1 ranked class in the nation by ESPN.com, as Clemson, Florida, Alabama and Georgia rounded out ESPN?s top five.
Rivals.com, however, had Alabama posting the best class, followed by Notre Dame, Florida, Miami and Oklahoma.
The headliner of the Terrapins? class is wide receiver Kenny Tate of DeMatha in Prince George?s County, who chose Maryland over Illinois and Penn State. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder announced his decision on Comcast SportsNet, following the trend of many top recruits nationwide choosing to make their college choice on live television.
Friedgen said he was pleased all of the players who told him during the recruiting process they would play for Maryland stood by their verbal commitment on Wednesday.
“If you put that on the other foot, what if I backed out today on some kids? When I shake your hand, that?s a commitment,” Friedgen said. “I?m a man of my word.”
Terps? recruits
» Tyler Bass, QB, Atlanta, Gal.,6-3, 210
» Cody Blue, DL, Wilde Lake, 6-5, 280
» Kerry Boykins, WR, Chesapeake, Va., 6-1, 200
» Devonte Campbell, TE, Forestville, 6-2, 230
» Cameron Chism, DB, Forestville, 6-2, 180
» R.J. Dill, OL, Camp Hill, Pa., 6-7, 275
» Kevin Dorsey, WR, Forestville, 6-2, 175
» Gary Douglas, RB, Durham, N.C., 6-0, 178
» Eteyen Edet, LB, Fort Washington, 6-2, 235
» A.J. Francis, DL, Severn, 6-4, 314
» Matt Furstenburg, TE, Flemington, N.J., 6-4, 240
» Justin Gilbert, OL, Richmond, Va., 6-6, 280
» Demetrius Hartsfield, LB, Raleigh, N.C., 6-1, 210
» Masengo Kabongo, DL, Stratford, Ct., 6-2, 280
» Zach Kerr, DL, Gaithersburg, 6-3, 295
» Davin Meggett, RB, Clinton, 5-8, 204
» Kenny Tate, WR, Forestville, 6-4, 195
