Randy Edsall and co. have received their fourth commitment of the 2012 football class, as Western PA quarterback Perry Hills made a verbal commitment to Maryland today, according to Bob Lichtenfels of Scout.com.
Hills, a rising senior at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, was recruited to Maryland by Greg Gattuso, the newly-hired defensive line coach who has the reputation as being one of the best recruiters in the Western PA region out there. Hills immediately fills the void of “Western PA quarterback of the future” previously left by the departure of Tyler Smith, so let’s look at who he is.
Listed at 6’3″ and in between 194 and 205 pounds, Hills has good size for a college quarterback, and is ranked three stars and the #43 quarterback in the class by Scout but is unranked by ESPN and Rivals. He held offers from a litany of MAC schools (Akron, Buffalo, Kent State and Miami of Ohio), but Maryland was the first major program to offer him. He also reportedly runs a 4.6 40. Let’s take a look at the video:
He’s got kind of an awkward delivery, but he’s a pretty accurate passer and has nice touch on his deep ball. I really like his size, for a high school junior, and while it is a highlight tape, he makes a lot of good throws. He doesn’t throw the ball particularly hard, so it’s easy to see why some of the bigger programs have overlooked him, but that’s something that can be taught. Accuracy is something you’re born with, which people at the pro level and college level alike seem to forget (I’m looking at you, JaMarcus).
There’s a lot of potential here with Hills, but it’s very unlikely Maryland stops here with 2012 quarterbacks. With Tyler Smith transferring, Devin Burns switching to quarterback, and DOB possibly headed to the draft in a year or two, it’s important Maryland has a lot of options for the future.
Some other quarterbacks in the 2012 class to consider after the jump:
- Devin Fuller – This is the best, albeit most unlikely, scenario. A four-star quarterback/athlete from New Jersey, Fuller has been offered by everyone from Alabama to Ohio State.
- Nathan Peterman – A pro-style quarterback from Florida, he’s been offered by Cincinnati, Connecticut (!) and Wake Forest, and is being recruited by Boise State (which to me is as good of a recommendation as possible).
- Faton Bauta – A combinatino of the previous two, Bauta is a dual threat quarterback from Florida who has been offered by Alabama, Miami, and West Virginia, among others (including Maryland). He is also one of the better options out there.
- Brendan Nosovitch – Like Hills, Nosovitch is a pro-style quarterback from Central Catholic High School in Pennsylvania. Unlike Hills, Nosovitch is from CCHS in Eastern PA, in Allentown. He’s been offered by Clemson, Georgia Tech (interesting for a pro-style quarterback), Maryland, and South Carolina.
- David Broadus – Broadus is a pro-style quarterback from Georgia, and while he holds no offers, he has a very impressive list of schools including him, including Alabama and Florida.
- Dillon Buechel – From a suburb of Pittsburgh, Buechel was being recruited by Gattuso at Pitt. Don’t be surprised if Gattuso continues that in College Park.
There are some other options (including ones, you know, actually from Maryland), but expect these to be the main targets.
Welcome to Terp Nation, Perry.