Mar 14, 2013; Greensboro, NC, USA; Maryland Terrapins center Alex Len (25) goes up for a dunk over Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Travis McKie (30) during the first round of the ACC tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

• The Wizards got the number three pick in the NBA draft lottery, so logically Alex Len’s name is being thrown into the mix as a potential draft pick. Problem is, the Wizards have a history of completely botching picks in recent years, especially when it comes to Europeans named Olekisy. That’s why Len made the TruthAboutIt #SoWizards picks. Great. Good thing he’s not going to Washington…I think.
• Continuing their Top 3 series, InsideMarylandSports.com gives us a (pay-to-play) look at the top three linebackers the Terps will face next year. Everyone on the list is going to be a nightmare to face, and is a future draft pick. The first guy in particular, is incredibly good.
• Heather Dinich over at ESPN gives the Terps a brief love bump by briefly summing up the whole Terps vs the ACC thing that’s currently going on. The ramifications of the ruling could have drastic effects, if there is even any ruling today at all. President Loh, as we know now, is currently in attendance though so it’s safe to say, “Does this roof look Loh? Cause I think it needs to be raiiiised!”
• It’s a shame that the Terrapins haven’t won a championship in lacrosse in a long while, because they have some very good players who deserve to get that trophy. In particular, the seven All-Americans that were named on the team. With that much firepower, Maryland has got to start winning the big one. (Diamondback)
• It may be weird, but Roddy Peters is already one of my favorite Terps players. When you read things like the Baltimore Sun’s piece on getting to know the kid, you’ll find out why. Some interesting blurbs? His favorite Terp is Juan Dixon, his role model is John Wall, and he’s ambidextrous. I can’t wait for this guy to don that beautiful Maryland pride jersey.

• To start things off, SlamOnline pays homage to one of the NBA’s brightest young stars, former Maryland Terrapin Greivis Vasquez. Fans of the Terps know his story, but it’s good for the rest of the world not wearing Gary Williams-shaded glasses to acknowledge how tough his journey has been. As it stands today, Greivis is a major cog in the future of the New Orleans Pelicans, and really did start from the bottom.
• Ah , freedom of information. The Maryland v. ACC lawsuit, which is likely to go up there with McCullouch v. Maryland and Brown v. the Board of Education in terms of landmark court decisions, is revving up now. Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post is providing all the essential documents in case you’re really bored in the offseason. 44 pages of dry.
• Since it only makes sense that Maryland would still get tied to the ACC no matter how far they ran, the Detroit Lions bowl is about to pit the Big Ten and the ACC against one another yet again. They’d be traveling to Detroit…to play postseason..football? My head is on fire.
• Now that Kevin Dorsey is in the NFL, there will be plenty more written about him, as he’s on the national stage. The Journal Sentinel decided to take a look at Dorsey as a human being, and you get the idea the guy is pretty smart when he starts talking about conflict resolution skills during a conversation involving Xbox.
• And finally, even on the Duke end of things, the writers over at Bleacher Report agree that the Terps are going to pose a problem for even an incredibly talented team like the Blue Devils. I like the sound of that, although I am still extremely nervous about facing this team. Sike.
• And finally, Microsoft unveiled their Xbox One today, and that thing is an absolute beast. It actually started lighting Twitter up with its marketing towards sports fans. The whole Snap feature where I can pin my fantasy stats on the screen while watching football is seriously what’s going to push me to pick one of these up. Even if it looks like an Atari. (Joystiq)

Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

• The Detroit Free Press broke down the salaries of assistant coaches in the Big Ten (on the football side of things), and the end result is that they make some serious dinero. It’s also no surprise that the top seven spots are occupied by coaches at some of the best schools in the country at football – Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska. It’s known that to draw in better coaches, you have to draw out your wallet. But where do the Terrapins stack up? Just as WaPo’s Alex Prewitt.
• Any time Maryland can beat Duke, in anything, it’s a good day. Fortunately, the Lady Terps lax team took down the Blue Devils 14-9 Saturday in the NCAA quarterfinals. The Lady Terps are on an absolute tear right now, and don’t look to be slowing down. They get to go up against future Big Ten opponent in Northwestern in the semifinals. They haven’t had the best luck with Northwestern, but even more interesting is that they have a former Terp on the coaching staff. (WaPo)
• Well here’s something interesting that might pique a few people’s interest…if you’re into believing in longshots. The Terps were previously heavy on the trail for the best shooting guard in the 2014 class, Rashad Vaughn, before backing off. Well, it appears Vaughn is hesitant to sign with North Carolina after visiting there over the weekend. He’s opened up his recruitment again, and that means anything can happen between now and National Signing Day. I don’t think Maryland or Vaughn has interest anymore, but we’ll have to see what happens. When a recruit says he’s opened up his recruiting, it usually provides an opportunity to swoop in.
• Well Maryland can probably be a little happier about leaving the ACC now that news has come out that there may not be an ACC network for a long, long time. The ACC has yet to buy back it’s media rights from Raycom and Fox Sports Net, which means unless they figure out a way to do so, they won’t be eligible to do anything until 2027. So what does that mean? Conference realignment talk is going to continue to be talked about, and people may have been too quick in calling John Swofford a genius. (MrSEC.com)
• I’m not entirely certain how I missed this, but Athlon Sports decided to take a stab at Maryland’s potential at getting to a bowl game next year a few weeks ago. Find out their analysis (as well as plenty of others) right here.

Nov 24 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Florida International Golden Panthers wide receiver Wayne Times (5) runs the ball against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks in overtime at FIU Stadium. The Warhawks defeated FIU 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

If you’re into gambling, BetOnline.com released the entire slate of week one college football point spreads, and if you’re into Maryland, you’re going to love it.

The Terrapins are a 14.5 point favorite over Week One opponent Florida International University, which is a welcome thing to see considering last year the Terps were a 14.5 favorite over an FCS School (William & Mary). I think Vegas truly believes the Terps are better, and one thing is for certain, you don’t win when you bet against Vegas.

FIU travels to College Park for the fist time since 2010, when the Terps beat them handily, 42-28 with Danny O’Brien slinging balls to Torrey Smith. The Golden Panthers were one of the worst teams in the country last year, finishing 3-9 and dropping games against teams like Troy and Arkansas…State.

For Maryland to be given two touchdowns against a team like that is more a formality than anything else. The Terps have way more firepower than FIU, and should automatically have a two score advantage. Still, the spread doesn’t illicit a ton of confidence about the team from the bookies, and understandably so since during the Edsall regime there have been let-downs. With a strong preseason and as the season inches a bit closer, I fully expect that spread to widen a bit. Until then, place your bets now!

Mar 15, 2013; Greensboro, NC, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard/forward Dez Wells (32) reaches for the ball as Duke Blue Devils forward Ryan Kelly (34) and forward Mason Plumlee (5) are in the background. The Terrapins defeated the Blue Devils 83-74 during the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

• Lately the hubbub is about the Big Ten schedule being announced, and even though it’s an entire season-offseason cycle away from us, people like Tom Fornelli of CBSSports are putting Maryland in the losers column. I’m not sure that anyone in the state of Maryland thinks we’re losers in the scheduling discussion, even if we get to play Ohio State in our first home Big Ten game.
• If you’re curious about how the B1G 2014 schedule came together, this Adam Rittenberg article will pique your interest quite a bit. Apparently the fact that the Terps and Rutgers play both traditional powers (Michigan and Ohio State) on the same day (October 4th) was pure coincidence. And no one believes that except Jim Delany.
• In case anyone was wondering how the Terps fared in previous years against Big Ten opponents, well, it’s not very pretty. But keep in mind that a lot of these games were played before AOL was popular and kickers didn’t wear face masks. So I personally don’t put a lot of stock in this analysis. (The Gazette)
• Former Terp and future NBA player Alex Len might be recovering from a stress fracture in his foot, but he’s still putting in work. Len has been interviewing with NBA teams left and right before the upcoming draft, in hopes of convincing some team that he’s worth taking a flyer on. Even if he won’t be playing for a little while. I just hope the Wizards don’t land him, no matter what, because his career would be derailed before it even began. (Alex Prewitt, Washington Post)
• In other former Terps news, though a bit older, Nik Caner-Medley was hospitalized earlier this month for a heart arrhythmia suffered while playing for his Maccabi Tel Aviv team. Fortunately for you guys, I can speak Spanish, because this article is in complete Spanish. It’s still uncertain as to whether or not he’s going to be able to play again for his team this year, who made it to the quarter finals.
• ACC basketball is a ways away, but so far the verdict on the Terps is less than encouraging from some outlets, including Syracuse.com, who thinks the Terps will be middle-of-the-pack bad. They’re newcomers, so I’ll let it slide just this once, but they are right about one thing: we’re going to miss Alex Len.

Roll Terps, and congratulations to the graduating seniors!

November 3, 2012; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) in action against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Byrd Stadium. Georgia Tech beat Maryland 33-13. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The Maryland Terrapins not only know who their first opponents in the Big Ten will be, they have the full schedule for the 2014 football season. The Big Ten conference released the 2014 football schedule today for all teams. The 2015 schedule will be the opposite of the 2014 schedule, and then in 2016 the Big Ten will add an additional conference game.

We all knew that the Big Ten would present a challenge to the Maryland football program, and the first schedule shows just how tough it will be. Maryland will be joining the East Division with other new addition Rutgers, Ohio State, Indiana, Penn State, Michigan State, and Michigan. The first two years Maryland will match up with West Division schools Iowa and Wisconsin.

The schedule goes as follows:

9/27 – At Indiana

10/4 – Ohio State

10/18 – Iowa

10/25 – At Wisconsin

11/1 – At Penn State

11/15 – Michigan State

11/22 – At Michigan

11/29 – Rutgers

There is a good balance in the schedule. As tough as it is, there are opportunities at home and on the road for Maryland to grab program boosting wins. Indiana will most likely be one of the easier teams Maryland faces, and Ohio State is a great team to welcome the Maryland fans into the Big Ten. Trips to Wisconsin, Penn State, and Michigan provide fans with some of the best road experiences in the conference. Penn State is one of the few drivable Big Ten schools, and the Big House is one of the most iconic stadiums in the country.

Rutgers and Maryland don’t have a long tradition rich history, but it appears that the Big Ten is looking to push them together as a new rivalry. The difference between the Big Ten pushing Rutgers as a rival and the ACC pushing Pitt as a rival, is that there is more to build on for Maryland fans against Rutgers. Many Maryland students are from New Jersey, it is an easy drive up I-95, and they are the two newest schools to the Big Ten. Maryland has never had an iconic rival, a game that the whole nation tunes in to see, and neither has Rutgers. It makes sense to place the two schools together as rivals. I understand the gripes Maryland fans have with this, but soon enough it will feel naturally to get excited about the end of year rivalry game against Rutgers.

For season ticket holders and students, this schedule provides fans with a great chance to see some of the best programs in the country. With the talent that Coach Randy Edsall and company have been bringing in, whos to say that Maryland can’t compete with these schools? Sure, they won’t go 8-0 and win the Big Ten, but imagine how great it would be to see Maryland beat The Ohio State at Byrd Stadium or to join many Maryland fans in Happy Valley to see Maryland get their second win against Penn State. Hey, crazier things have happened! For now lets look forward to what the future has in stored and get ready for last hoorah in the ACC!

Bye bye, ACC.

Welcome to the B1G Leagues, Terps.

The Maryland Terrapins had their inaugural Big Ten Schedule for the 2014 season announced Thursday at noon, and it is a stark contrast from the past, 50+ years of college football in the ACC.

At Indiana, vs Ohio State, vs Iowa, at Wisconsin, at Penn State, vs Michigan State, at Michigan, vs Rutgers. That’s the hand we’ve been dealt, and I’ll be the first to say that I love it. I mean our first home game at Byrd is going to be Ohio State and Urban Meyer.

My first thought was that, no matter what, I’m willing to wager the Terps sell out nearly every home Big Ten game in 2014 just based on the fact that everything is so new. Ohio State and Rutgers, they’re guaranteed sellouts. Michigan State, count on it. Iowa is the only team I’d have doubts about at this point, but because it’s the first time we’re playing them it’ll be a packed house. The home slate alone is enough to get excited about, especially playing Rutgers, given how many Jersey people are on campus at any given point in time.

Talk about an upgrade from the 2013 schedule, too. Virginia, Clemson, Syracuse, and Boston College weren’t bringing in squat for fans on a consistent basis. The ACC tends to give Maryland roundhouse kicks to the groin, so this year’s schedule was a bummer. Sure, Iowa is a bit of a downer, but so is having to play our suggested rival Virginia, and a Boston College team that routinely sucks to watch. Add in Cuse, and we might as well have been playing a Big East home slate.

Another thing that stands out? Six of the eight games were against teams that were bowl eligible based on total wins (even if Penn State and Ohio State were banned.) Things could be tough going early on for the Terrapins in the Big Ten, that’s for sure. Ohio State is probably going to beat the pants off Maryland in the first year, same goes for Michigan. Not to mention playing Wisconsin, a team that dropped 70 points on the #12 team in the nation (Nebraska) in the Rose Bowl…and they didn’t even rightfully win their division since Penn State and Ohio State weren’t bowl eligible. Things aren’t going to be easy, no matter how you want to paint it.

But I’m looking forward to forming some new rivalries. There’s no question that Rutgers and Maryland will be intrinsically tied to one another based on being the new guys and geographical location. But let’s not forget that Danny O’Brien’s quitting connects us to Wisconsin, and recruiting to Penn State, and a national championship game to Indiana. The possibilities make you salivate, and give Terps fans something they haven’t had in awhile: hope.

There will be some ups and downs going to the Big Ten, but it’s the Big Ten. The ACC has this tendency to make good football teams mediocre by association. Look what happened to Florida State and Miami. Playing sub-par competition week-after-week tends to wear on you, and lets you rest on your laurels a bit too much. In the Big Ten? If Maryland takes any games off, they’re going to get completely obliterated by any one of these teams. The Terps are playing in one of the best conferences in the nation now, and they are either going to put up or shut up.

Terps fans are the rare breed that looks forward to being the underdog, so I for one look forward to this schedule. We’re probably not favorites in any game on the 2014 schedule save for maybe Indiana. Fine by me, because Maryland is going to rebound. People have short memories, but I recall just a few short years ago the Terps were 9-4. They’re not some pushover, although they have been the past few years. So let the Big Ten, and everyone else sleep on Maryland. In a couple more years, people will once again Fear the Turtle.

November 3, 2012; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive back Dexter McDougle (25) in action against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Byrd Stadium. Georgia Tech beat Maryland 33-13. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Even though the Maryland Terrapins had a woeful 4-8 football team last year, the good news is that they definitely improved defensively (albeit marginally.) They only gave up 29.1 points per game against FBS opponents in 2012; in 2011, that number was 37.1 (13th worst in the nation). In terms of YoY improvement, there’s not a whole lot to complain about on the defensive end.

But keeping in mind that the offense left them high and dry with absolutely terrible field position more than a few times, there are still some areas Maryland has to get better in on the defensive side of the football. Here are a few:

1.) First Quarter, First Half Defense

Some teams thrive playing from behind the whole game; the Terps don’t need to be one of those teams. Take a look at the average points scored per quarter (against FBS opponents) for 2011 and 2012:

1st: 10.1/8.25
2nd: 8.1/7.4
3rd: 8.3/7.7
4th: 10.6/5.5

There are two things that really jump out at you. The first is that Maryland is phenomenal in the fourth quarter; they rank 31st in the nation among FBS schools in that regard. Teams in college football don’t really let off the throttle much when they’re playing (even with a lead), so the argument that just because Maryland is down after three quarters, the other teams lets up, doesn’t hold weight for me. Since nine of Maryland’s 12 games were decided be ten or fewer points, and in five of their eight losses the Terps were within ten points at the half, there is clearly somet voodoo magic going on that makes them a really effective fourth quarter team.

The second point is that they have gotten obliterated in the first quarter by comparison; they fall to 101nd nationally in points allowed in that segment. The Terps only held an opponent to three or fewer points in the first quarter three times last year: against Temple (3), N.C. State (0), and UVA (0). Every other game consisted of 6 or more points, with the highest being a whopping 21 v. Clemson. Road or home, it really didn’t matter.

So how do you rectify slow starts? That’s hard to say. Part of the blame lays solely on the coaching staff, as they should have their team prepared for battle from the get-go. Teams have a week (and sometimes more) to comb over film and ready themselves to go up against an offense, so it’s on the coaching staff to further drill those points home. Granted other teams get a chance to do that, too, Maryland should be better at it. The fact that the Terps make second half adjustments is promising (they give up, on average, 3 fewer points in the second half), but they need to be ready to play when they step on the field.

2.) Paging All Ball Hawks

It’s not news to anyone that great defenses force turnovers, and that’s a department that Maryland was absolutely horrendous in last year. Their four total interceptions placed them at 122nd in the nation amongst FBS teams in interceptions per game, wedged between Temple and New Mexico State. Then take into consideration that two of those interceptions came from Joe Vellano and Demetrius Hartsfield, and you get the idea that the Terps secondary was far from shut-down mode.

Even though Kenny Tate played in nine games, he was nowhere near the guy who was tied for career interceptions in the ACC and only saw limited action. Combine that with losing Matt Robinson in the secondary (though he is now a linebacker) and you can see it really hurt Maryland in the turnover department. No one else in the secondary was capable of serious highway robbery, but to be fair a lot of that has to do with throwing in two inexperienced guys in at safety and possessing no deep coverage.

So how do they improve? In a way, they may already be. There’s some scary talent and experience amongst the DBs, with Dexter McDougle and Jeremiah Johnson the likely starters. McDougle had 71 tackles last year, and with some more experience at safety, he may be able to get back to his three interception sophomore year. Meanwhile, Johnson is a guy who is just as athletic as McDougle, and was definitively better than McDougle in coverage (though he isn’t as good a tackler.) Those two combined should be shut down, barring injury if..

…the safeties perform up to snuff. Sean Davis and Anthony Nixon are two young fellas, and they’re going to be young next year. They have to have learned the positions better, and can’t be such liabilities on deep balls. That leads back to coaching, film study, and experience — all three of which they should have gotten last year. If that happens, Maryland could be in for a good year in the turnover department.

3.) Strong Down The Stretch

Maryland has gone 0-12 the last two seasons in their final six games, and have been outscored 436-228 combined. While some of that can be blamed on the offense, that’s a culture thing. It’s also a schedule thing, since three of last year’s final six games featured Florida State, North Carolina, and Clemson. But if you think next year will provide any gimmes, you’re wrong. For Maryland, they’ve got to show up every game (even when they might be out of bowl contention.)

———–

Look, it’s tough to pin the blame on the defense for last year considering how admirably they played. But they did get gouged over the last three games (while we had a linebacker at QB), so there are some things to work on. Doing only one of these will likely mean the difference between bowl eligibility and another 4-12 season.

It was believed by many in the recruiting circle that Gilman 4-star DB Troy Vincent Jr. would be a Nittany Lion by now. With their lack of available scholarships due to the Jerry Sandusky scandal, Penn State has been putting the squeeze on tons of local recruits, stating their scholarship offer could potentially be off the table if they do not commit sooner rather than later. The fear tactic worked on Wise DB Marcus Allen, who committed to Penn St this past Monday over Maryland (I don’t think Allen’s recruitment is over by a long shot, but that story is for another time).

4-star Gilman DB Troy Vincent Jr. was supposed to be the latest to join Allen in Happy Valley. It was believed that he would commit to Penn State no later than this past Monday, leaving the Terps with one less option for their defensive backfield. But despite heavy pressure from the Penn State staff, Vincent decided to push back his decision and take more visits. For Terps fans hoping to land Vincent in 2014, this is excellent news, and here’s why.

As mentioned above, regarding their low scholarships numbers, Penn State is only allowed 15 scholarships this year. With 9 players already committed for the 2014 class, the Nittany Lions only have 6 scholarships left. As of right now, Penn State does not have any offensive linemen or defensive linemen on their commitment list. One would think some scholarships would be reserved for some beef right? In any case, Penn State does not have the luxury of waiting on a recruit to decide, and Maryland does. If Vincent decides to push his decision back any further, the Nittany Lions might be forced to look elsewhere.

There’s more good news; since deciding to delay his announcement, Vincent, along with his parents, has decided to schedule a visit to College Park on May 24^th. The Terps staff will get one more chance to present their case to Vincent before he decides on his college destination in the next month. Getting a recruit on campus before his big decision is always beneficial, especially with Locksley running the show. Vincent will undoubtedly take other visits, most notably Pittsburgh, who is also high on Vincent’s list. But this looks to be a battle of two between Maryland and Penn State for Vincent’s services.

Penn St could still be the favorite, but in light of Vincent delaying his decision, as well as deciding to visit Maryland with his parents, Edsall and staff seems to have closed the gap. Look for Vincent to decide sometime in early June, as he wants to have his decision in before the summer grind. This will be a tough battle for the Terps, but now their chances of landing this local stud from Baltimore seem to be just as good as their future Big Ten rival. Less than 48 hours ago, that was not the case.

Randy Edsall hopes to build off of last year’s successful recruiting class.

Following TerrapinStationMD’s recent article covering legitimate Terps basketball targets, we have decided that doing something similar for football only seemed right. Although National Signing Day is a long ways away, it’s never too early to look at realistic targets that Randy Edsall and staff could bring in by the time February 2^nd rolls around.

Keep in mind that Maryland has tons of offers out there, and some recruits who hold a Maryland offer did not make it onto this list. Some recruits put out very little information, while for others it’s difficult to gauge whether a teenager’s interest is sincere or fluff. In any case, here is the list of 2014 recruits that could potentially find their way to College Park in 2014:

Quarterback:

Will Ulmer  (St. Johns, Washington DC) (Committed) – With Ulmer on board, Maryland seems to be done looking at other quarterback targets. Ulmer chose the Terps over offers from Wisconsin, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Michigan St, Miami, FSU, Arizona St, among others. Excellent get for Edsall and staff.

 Running Back:

Johnathan Thomas   (St. John’s Prep, Massachusetts) (Committed) – Thomas committed to the Terps because he loved the campus, the direction of the program, and the location. He visited Maryland numerous times, including the Spring Game, and was close to committing then. His recruitment picked up recently, receiving offers from Arkansas and Nebraska. Other schools such as Penn St and Rutgers were close to offering as well. He liked Boston College a lot and enjoyed his visit to Arkansas, but ultimately the Terps offer was too good to pass up. With Thomas in the fold now, it’s hard to see Maryland push for another running back.

Ray Lawry  (Kingsway Regional, New Jersey) – Lawry is a good looking back who’s recruitment is slowly building. He currently holds offers from Maryland, Temple and Old Dominion, but schools like Miami, Penn St, Rutgers, Wisconsin and Pittsburgh are monitoring him closely. He has stated that he would like to stay local, but more schools are likely to get involved. After Thomas’ commitment, we’ll see if the Terps make a push or if they’re content with Thomas’ pledge.

Taiwan Deal  (DeMatha, Maryland) – Deal is a back with great size and surprising speed for someone who’s close to 230 lbs. The Terps were his first offer, but RB isn’t a crucial need for this class, especially following Thomas’ commitment. Maryland hasn’t been pushing the issue, and Deal has no issue looking elsewhere. He holds offers from a number of Big Ten schools, including Purdue, Iowa, Michigan St and Wisconsin. West Virginia, Tennessee and Vanderbilt have offered as well, but with Mikale Wilbon committing to Vandy, it appears the Commodores aren’t pushing so much either. Maryland could get involved later in the process down the road, and if they choose to do so, it seems that Deal would listen. But as it looks right now, it looks as if Deal won’t be happening to Maryland.

Wide Receiver:

Chris Jones  (DeMatha, Maryland) – Jones is a tad under the radar, but Maryland was one of the first schools to offer him. Along with Maryland, Jones holds offers from Wisconsin and Temple, while schools like Virginia, Rutgers and FSU continue to monitor him. He apparently likes the Terps a good deal, and he has been to many Maryland games and camps already. He has said he will wait it out to signing day, but the feeling is that Maryland could possibly land him before February rolls around.

Cam Phillips  (DeMatha, Maryland) – On the opposite side of Jones, Phillips brings a good amount of talent to the gridiron. He holds offers from Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Penn St, UNC and Georgia Tech. What’s a tad surprising is that Maryland has not offered, but if the Terps were to push, he’d listen.

Freddy Canteen  (Eastern Christian Academy, Maryland) – Canteen is a serious talent, and Maryland was one of the firsts to notice. Other offers include Rutgers and Temple, while UCLA, UNC, Miami and West Virginia continue to keep tabs on him. More schools will continue to jump in, but he appears to be legitimately considering the Terps. But as any recruit at ECA, academics could come into question.

Offensive Linemen:

Jared Cohen  (McDonogh, Maryland) (Committed) – Cohen was the first to commit to Maryland in the 2014 class, and he comes at a position of need. He didn’t wait long to join former teammate (and now current teammate) Roman Braglio in College Park as Maryland was the first school to offer him. Cohen will most likely be a guard in college.

 Justin Falcinelli  (Middletown, Maryland) – Maryland was one of the first schools to notice Falcinelli’s talents, but it didn’t take long for others to notice too. Since picking up a Maryland offer, he has received offers from Clemson, Penn St, Rutgers, Virginia and West Virginia. Falcinelli really likes the hometown Terps, and has expressed interest in staying home for college. He already has a brother on campus, which can’t hurt Maryland’s chances. At this point, and it’s still early, it looks to be between Maryland and Clemson. Fortunately, Maryland won’t have to wait until February to find out, as he plans to have his decision in before his senior season.

Brock Ruble  (DeMatha, Maryland) – This mammoth tackle has offers from all over, including FSU, Cal, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and many more. But despite a heavy offer sheet, Maryland is right in the thick of things. He’s been on campus plenty of times, and has even stated he wouldn’t mind staying home for college. Ruble’s decision could come by the end of summer.

Damian Prince  (McNamara, Maryland) – Prince is one of the best offensive linemen in the country, as indicated by his offer list. Top dogs like Alabama, Ohio St, Auburn, Florida, Clemson, FSU…well, let’s just say Prince has his choice of any school in the country. He’s been to many Maryland practices and games, and he does like Maryland. Prince is considered a longshot, but if Maryland can get some W’s early and a few more top local recruits to jump on board, Prince could very well be a Terp as well by signing day.

Sam Madaras  (Good Counsel, Maryland) – Sam is the younger brother of current Terps starting LT Mike Madaras. But even with big bro on board, Maryland has yet to offer Sam. While the Terps wait for Sam to camp to decide whether or not to offer, Madaras holds offers from NC State, Hawaii and Miami of Ohio. Madaras is being monitored by schools such as Boston College, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Penn St, along with Maryland.

Kevin Wilkins  (St. Joseph’s, New Jersey) – although a tad underrated, coach Edsall spotted Wilkins on a trip to New Jersey and didn’t hesitate to offer. He currently holds offers from Boston College and UCF, but schools like Miami, Rutgers, Syracuse and Virginia Tech are snooping around. Wilkins will most likely be a guard in college.

Defensive Linemen:

Jesse Aniebonam  (Good Counsel, Maryland) – Aniebonam is one of the top defensive linemen in the country. He holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, South Carolina, Clemson, Ole Miss…the list goes on. And yet, the Terps are right up there on Aniebonam’s list. He loves the direction of the Maryland program, and a decision could be coming soon. Aniebonam is a no-nonsense kind of guy, the kind of guy Edsall salivates over. I like the Terps chances here.

Rick Leonard   (Middletown, Maryland) – It would be hard to argue that there’s a recruit whose recruiting and exposure has blown up more than Leonard. Since receiving a Maryland offer, Leonard has gotten offers from FSU, Clemson, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Arizona, and Washington. He holds a West Virginia offer, but he immediately informed the Mountaineers that he was not interested (how can Terps fans not love this guy?). Despite an impressive list of offers, Leonard really likes Maryland. And just like teammate Falcinelli, the Terps will be in his top 3 when he decides hopefully by the end of summer.

Ricky Walker  (Bethal, Virginia) – Although a tad on the short side for a defensive linemen, Walker has great size, the size of a prototypical defensive end in the 3-4 base set. Walker has offers from all over, including Illinois, Ole Miss, Nebraska, UNC, Penn St, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin. With a list like that, Walker is in no hurry to commit, or narrow down his list for that matter. He’s been to Maryland a few times, and has said good things about the Terps program. But more schools will offer, and the more big schools that offer, the more Maryland could eventually become an afterthought.

Deonte Holden  (DeMatha, Maryland) – Holden’s got some pretty good offers on the table, uncluding Temple, Iowa, NC State, and Virginia. The Terps have not offered, but Holden likes Maryland a lot. My guess is, if they offer, he could be a Terp sooner rather than later.

Antoine White  (Millville, New Jersey) – White is a good talent with an even better attitude. He’s a hard worker who’s received offers from Boston College, Rutgers, Temple, ODU, Vanderbilt, as well as Maryland. Schools UNC and Penn St are keeping close tabs on him, and offers could be around the corner. While he really likes Rutgers, he does like the Terps and their Criminal Justice program, which could be a bigger factor than fans realize. Like I said, he’s got a good head on his shoulders.

Linebackers:

Melvin Keihn  (Gilman, Maryland) – Getting Gilman recruits has always been a difficult challenge for Maryland, but Randy Edsall has the Terps positioned well with this star linebacker. Keihn seems comfortable staying local for college, which helps the Terps a great deal (along with having fellow teammate Cockerille on board). But Maryland faces stiff competition, as he also likes Virginia and Virginia Tech too. He holds offers from UNC, Rutgers and West Virginia as well.

Jawhaun Bentley  (DeMatha, Maryland) – Bentley has been to Maryland many times, and has a great deal of respect for both the Terps and their coaching staff. He holds offers from Pittsburgh, Iowa and Virginia, while more schools are bound to offer. The good news is he really likes the Terps, and Maryland has positioned themselves well to land this Stagg.

Tyler Burke  (Coatsville, Pennsylvania) – Burke possesses great size for a linebacker, and the Terps offered him early in the recruiting process. Lots of regional schools have been in to see Burke, such as Temple, Rutgers and NC State. But Maryland was on him early, and Maryland could very well be Burke’s college destination if things go well this summer.

Spencer Kleinrichert  (DeMatha, Maryland) – needless to say, the Staggs are stacked at Linebacker this season. And Maryland wants in on the action. Kleinrichert is under the radar at this point of the recruiting process, but that only benefits Maryland’s chances and he could very well be a Terp before his recruiting blossoms.

 Cornerbacks:

Jalen Tabor  (Friendship Collegiate, Washington, DC) – There’s not much more that can be said that Terps fans don’t already know about when it comes to this prized jewel of the 2014 class. He’s been on record saying that he wants all top talent in the DMV to end up in College Park so Maryland can become a powerhouse. But like all 16- and 17-year olds, they love attention, especially if it’s coming from the best of the best. With Tabor’s recruitment, any school can be out of his top 10 one week and appear in the top 10 next week. He holds offers from just about every top school in the country. In the end, Maryland should be in his top 5, but he also loves Florida and Alabama, so Terps will be facing an uphill battle.

Troy Vincent Jr.  (Gilman, Maryland) – Vincent is the kind of kid that every coach wants on his team. He has a great attitude, is serious about his academics, and comes from a strong no-nonsense kind of family. He has an impressive offer list (Michigan, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Michigan St) but this could very well come down to Maryland and Penn St. He loves both coaching staffs and he likes that both head coaches are straight shooters. Penn St could be the favorite, but Maryland isn’t going to give up without a fight.

Marcel Joly   (Forestville, Maryland) – Joly is an interesting recruit. He hasn’t been in the US all that long, and he hasn’t played organized football all that long either. But he already possesses some serious skill in the backfield. He’s still raw, hence his small offer list (Maryland and Vanderbilt). Joly could be a perfect fallback option if the Terps fail to land Tabor and/or Vincent, but Joly won’t wait around forever. Terps will need to decide real soon if they want to make a serious push for Joly or not, otherwise he will be a Commodore.

D’Andre Payne (Friendship Collegiate, Washington, DC) – Yea yea yea I know, he already committed to Tennessee. But Taivon Jacobs committed to Ohio St last season, and now he wears Maryland red instead of Buckeye red. These things happen every year; a player commits to a school and after February 2^nd he’s wearing another team’s colors. Something tells me Payne’s recruitment isn’t over just yet. After all, Maryland was pretty high on Payne’s list before he committed to the Vols, so we’ll see.

Marcus Boone  (Woodbridge, Virginia) – Boone was once considered a running back, but he’ll most likely play his college ball on the defensive side.  Boone doesn’t hold any offers yet, but regional schools like Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, JMU and ODU are keeping a close eye on him. Unfortunately Boone is more known at this point for being best friends with top prospect and 5-star talent DeShawn Hand than for his play on the field. But a strong showing this summer and senior season could land Boone some pretty good offers, including Maryland.

Safeties:

Marcus Allen  (Wise, Maryland) – Allen is an intriguing talent. At one point he only held offers from Maryland and Pittsburgh, but now he holds offers from Arizona, Illinois, Clemson, Georgia Tech, NC State and Vanderbilt. Allen really likes the Terps, and Maryland couldn’t have positioned themselves any better to acquire Allen’s services. But Allen is a Pittsburgh native, so Pitt could be a serious contender. And schools like Clemson and Vanderbilt can’t be taken lightly, especially in the DMV.

Demetrius Johnson  (Annapolis Area Christian, Maryland) – Annapolis isn’t exactly a recruiting hotbed of talent, but Johnson is the exception to the rule. Maryland is in great shape with Johnson, being local and having best friend and former 2013 safety Elvis Dennah already already on campus. The only issue with Johnson could be academics, and if things get too out of hand, Johnson could be on his way out of Maryland an into the arms of the Wolfpack (he holds an offer from NC State in case you didn’t figure that one out).

Jordan Noil (Norcross, Georgia) – Although underrated at this point, Noil has the size and speed that coach Edsall couldn’t pass up. Noil is a recruit of a different color; he is very serious about his studies and wants to go to school that has a top notch architecture program. Advantage Maryland over everyone else!

MJ Stewart  (Yorktown, Virginia) – Stewart has the ability to play both safety and corner in college, and that intrigues a lot of college coaches. He really likes the direction of the Maryland program, especially moving into the BIG. Although Maryland is in great shape, he does like UNC a lot. Schools like Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia round out his list. This looks to be a battle between the Terps and Tar Heels. Stewart looks to make his decision at some point during the summer.