Maryland Football: Caleb Henderson is a big pickup

Nov 14, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of a Maryland Terrapins helmet on the field prior to a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of a Maryland Terrapins helmet on the field prior to a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Maryland landed a big commitment in the transfer wire earlier this week.

Former four-star quarterback Caleb Henderson announced his intentions to transfer to the Terrapins. Henderson was originally part of the 2014 recruiting class at North Carolina.

Henderson will certainly add another dimension to the quarterback competition next season at Maryland.

Henderson will have to sit out the 2016 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but will have two years of eligibility remaining. Henderson will be competing against a group of Max Bortenschalger, four-star 2017 commit Kasim Hill, Tyrrell Pigrome, and Gage Shaffer next season.

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Henderson has limited experience in the college football ranks.

Henderson played briefly in two games and was 0-for-1 passing the ball and ran five times for 53 yards during the 2015 season. He saw limited playing time against Delaware and North Carolina A&T.

While Henderson has limited college experience, he is a very talented player. Henderson was the 2013 Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year in high school. Henderson was the nation’s 10th overall pro-style passer in 2014, according to 247Sports.

He was also selected to the U.S. Army All-American all-star game.

The connection between Henderson and the Terps is offensive coordinator Walt Bell. Bell coached at North Carolina in 2013 when Larry Fedora’s staff was recruiting Henderson. This connection provided Henderson with some familiarity with the Maryland coaching staff prior to his recruitment and commitment.

The Terps could be looking at a potential battle between Henderson and Hill for the starting job for 2017.

Both are significant upgrades to the offense and would excite the team and fan base at the quarterback position. Henderson adds to Maryland’s strong 2017 recruiting haul and can be potentially be another key piece to getting the team back to relevancy in college football.

It is early in new head coach D.J. Durkin‘s tenure with Maryland, but his impact is being heavily felt in the recruiting game.

It is essential to hire the right staff to help in the recruiting game and Durkin will surely give credit to Bell for helping reel in Henderson.

Next: Jermaine Carter Jr. looks to lead revamped defense

Maryland fans need to continue to stay excited for the future of the football program as Henderson is another step in the right direction.