Maryland was a no-brainer for Joey Fisher

Clear Spring (Md.) defensive end Joey Fisher only needed one offer before committing to Maryland this week. (Mandatory Credit: 247Sports)

Joey Fisher missed his entire junior year due to a shoulder injury.

However, that didn’t stop Maryland from offering the Clear Spring (Md.) defensive end.

“Coach (Chad) Wilt gave it to me straight,” Fisher told TerrapinStationMD. “We just built up a relationship and we’ve been talking since February. It was a definitely a risk for them because they hadn’t seen me play yet, coming off the shoulder surgery.”

The Maryland staff offered Fisher on Monday evening after seeing Fisher do some drills at Clear Spring. On Wednesday, Fisher decided to accept the offer and become a Terp.

“They make me sound like I’m their top priority and I appreciate that,” Fisher said. “That definitely made me jump towards their offer.”

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Fisher is just the second Maryland commit on the defensive side of the ball with the other being Good Counsel cornerback Travon Scott. The Hagerstown product is the first commit on the defensive line.

Fisher wasn’t able to play a snap during his junior season, but still had interest from schools like Michigan State, Tennessee, and Towson. The strong-side defensive end is a top-35 player in the state of Maryland, according to 247Sports.

“I knew the recruiting process was going to be slow. Every recruiter I talked to said I was going to be one of those camp boys. I would go to a school one day and do a camp and hopefully leave there with an offer.”

There was one very important factor that made the decision to commit to Maryland an easy one for Fisher.

“I was born three miles away from the stadium in Laurel then I grew in Jessup and Beltsville since second grade then I moved up to Hagerstown,” Fisher added. “That’s my home and my roots are there. That’s like my hometown.”

Fisher also added that family being able to see him play was a big selling point.

As far as how he fits in with the Maryland defensive scheme, Fisher definitely thinks he can make the adjustment to new defensive coordinator Keith Dudzinski’s 4-3 unit.

“I’ve been through a decent amount of defenses and setups,” Fisher said. “We run a 3-4 in high school right now, so a 4-3 wouldn’t be a big difference. Chad (Wilt) said that he was recruiting me as a five-technique defensive end that is like the pass rusher. Coach Wilt also said I had natural speed and natural strength.”

Fisher possesses several important qualities that many defensive coaches look for. He has great size at 6’5, 248 lbs., and is a natural pass rusher.

“Sometimes I play beyond the whistle. I don’t stop until the whistle is blown. I give 100 percent on every play.”