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Letter of Intent Day

By Bob W.

Well it’s that time of the year again, National Letter of Intent Day.  A time to think football even though the first tailgate is still half a calendar away.  A time to look into the future of Maryland Football.  This years recruiting season for the Terps had all the twist and turns of a Friday afternoon soap opera.  Why we even made national headlines with some of the goings on.  But as Coach Freidgen like’s to say, “It’s never about the kids, you lose, it’s about the kids you get.”, and February 1, 2006 was a day to celebrate those kids who at the end of the day decided they wanted to be Terps.

First of all, Ralph Friedgen is a great salesman, every time I hear the man speak I am convinced we are on the verge of greatness.  It is really something else.  His level of excitement for Maryland football is only matched by our level of excitement for drinking, and it seems that his attitude is contagious.  Ralph opened up the Conference telling everyone that today was the first day of work outs for the Spring Semester.  The first practice was scheduled for 5:45 this morning and EVERY single member of the team was dressed and ready to go by 5:15.  Ralph is very happy with this years team and their commitment to winning.   

In addition to going over the incoming class, Friedgen brought up some of the early enrollees on stage.  In order to make them feel even more awkward he gave each one a pointed question they had to answer in front of the crowd.   First was Chris Clinton LB from Lakeland, Florida.

RF:  Why did you select Maryland?

Chris Clinton:  When I came to Maryland, everyone just felt like family. 

RF:  Yeah, and don’t forget I’m your daddy!  What was Fork Union Military Academy like?

Chris Clinton:  It was interesting, definitely a great growing experience, I’ve really learned to become a man.

RF:  Well see about that once practice starts.

Next up was Morgan Green, RB from White Plains, Maryland

RF:  What is your biggest concern coming to Maryland.

Morgan Green:  I just want to please everyone and keep my grades up.

Following Green was Stephen Smalls, WR from Lancaster, PA.

RF:  You played with Steffy in High School, do you always expect him to throw you the ball when you are out there?

Stephen Smalls:  No, I don’t always expect him to throw me the ball, but he would be smart if he did!

Next up was Josh Portis who easily stole the show, this guy is so F’ing big.  I really like Ricker and Steffy, but once this guy is eligible, I don’t have any idea of how we are going to keep him off the field.  He just has that great QB presence.  Anyway his questions was…

RF:  Why did you pick UF over Maryland last year?

Josh Portis:  I really like Urban Meyer and wanted to follow him after my commitment to Utah, but even after I did that, I knew I made a mistake and all I could think about was why I didn’t go to Maryland.  Everyone around me knew that was the perfect fit for me and was shocked when I didn’t sign with the Terps.

RF:  How are you adjusting to College Park?

Josh Portis:  I love it here.  Florida was kind of country not much going on, but I’m from California and like to be around the excitement and College Park is perfect, sitting right between two great cities. 

RF:  OK, you can go.

Josh Portis:  Oh and I can’t wait to bring the ACC Championship here!

And now back to the class of 2006.

Class Breakdown:

            So lets look at what we’ve got.  By state we picked up 8 Maryland Athletes, 3 from Pennsylvania,  2 from Florida, 1 from New Jersey, South Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Connecticut, North Carolina, Washington DC, Michigan, and Colorado. 

            Position wise we got 2 QB’s, 2 RB’s, 5 WR’s, 1 OL, 1 TE, 1 DE, 4 LB’s, 4 DB’s, and two athletes that can play on either side of the ball.   

        Our rankings according to Rivals.com are:                                                          

            1          -5 star                                                          

            2         -4 star

            11        -3 star

6                                        -2 star

    2          -1 star

And our Class rankings are:

Rivals:  29^th  Overall

ACC:  4^th  (above all but FSU, Miami, and Clemson)

Class Highlights:

·        8 All-Americans

·        17 All Regional players

·        10 players picked in the top 25 nationally at their position

·        #2 Prep Recruit in the Nation

·        #1 Player in the state of Connecticut

·        #2 Player in the state of West Virginia

·        New Jersey Defensive Player of the year

·        And 5^th ranked dual threat QB in the Nation

Factoid Alert:

            Not all of these kids, but the bulk of them were born in 1988.  So when we were trying to figure out how in the hell to hit a curveball (I never did), these kids were just being born.  Ouch, and the worst part is this section of the report is going to get worse and worse ever year!

Friedgen’s Wish List:

            When asked if MGN could get him anything he wanted, what would it be? Without hesitation Ralph said that someone showed him this Virtual Quarter Back Machine, you can download your playbook and watch the WR’s run their routes.  You can also download the opposing defense and read their coverage.  You are also hooked up so that you can actually make the passes in the machine.  Friedgen added, he didn’t know when, but someway somehow he was going to get one of these.

Random Notes:

            Before we get into the new Terps, just some quick notes.  The Signing Day celebration was standing room only.   Biggest crowd I have seen there in my 3 years attending.  Our team will only have 10 seniors this year (is it me or do we get younger every year?).  We have 21 offensive and 20 defensive letter winners returning this year, also 5 on special teams.  FG competition is as wide open as ever.  Josh Allen is ready to go, isn’t 100% yet, but is fully participating in spring practices.  Steffy will be ready to go for Spring practice.  Some of the Defensive leaders emerging in the locker room are Erin Henderson, and Chris Varner.  The offensive leaders are Hollenbach, Lance Ball, Hoyer, and Gaither.  And lastly there is some confusion on why the WVU game is not Thursday night.  This could change (maybe I heard that wrong though, seems like it would be too late for that).  Asked if all the kids introduced tonight would qualify, Friedgen quickly replied “No, but I don’t think prepping is such a bad idea for some of them.” Anyway on to the Terps….

MEET THE NEW TERPS!

Melvin Alaeze*****

Pos: DE           Ht:  6-2  Wt: 280         Hometown: Baltimore, MD      HS: Randallstown

Facts:  Had 18.5 sacks and 30 tackles for a loss his senior year.  Voted First team All-American (USA Today), All-Metro Defensive Player of the Year (Baltimore Sun), Ranked #1 DE in the US (ESPN.com), Ranked #1 DE in the US (Rivals.com), #19 best overall player in the country (Prepstars), #13 best overall player in the country (Rivals.com), Defensive MVP of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl for the East.  Ran a 4.54 40.  Had 55 scholarship offers, final list was USC, Ohio State, Va Tech, and Miami.

Observations:  Maryland’s number one target last year as well as this year.  Now if only we could get his SAT scores up.  Sometimes I miss the U of Md from the early 80’s.

Chris Clinton ***

Pos:  LB       Ht:  6-3  Wt: 240    Hometown:  Lakeland, FL       HS: Fork Union Military Academy

Facts:  Played in all 11 games for Fork Union last year.  Recorded 110 tackles, 63 of which were solo.  His Senior year in HS he also had 110 tackles, was named First Team 1A All-State, and All Southeast Region Pick by Superprep, also played baseball, basketball and ran track.  Was also recruited by Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.  

Observations:  Looks like a leading member of a GREAT group of LB’s coming in.

Brandon Jackson-Mills  **

Pos. CB         Ht: 5-10  Wt: 160        Hometown: Germantown, MD      HS: Northwestern

Facts:  Played CB and WR in high school.  Named special teams player of the year as a junior and senior.  Prep Star all region pick. Runs a 4.4 40.  Also came in 3^rd in the state with a 22.32 in the 200 Meters.  Signed with Maryland prior to his senior season. 

Observations:  A common theme all night was speed and qualifying grades.  This kid fits both of those.

Jeremy Ricker ***

Pos. QB           Ht: 6-2  Wt: 205       Hometown: Harrisburg, PA           HS: Bishop McDevitt

Facts: 3 year starter at BMcD.  Completed 377 of 603 passes in his career.  Had 67 TD’s to only 25 INT’s (I think I saw 3 of those the day I was there).  Ninth ranked QB in the nation.  On a side note also an excellent punter!  Named to Rivals top 100 team.  Named to Prep Stars Dream Team.  Without one of the best RB’s in the nation Ricker lead his team to a 13-1 record.  Also recruited by Oregon, UNC, Pittsburgh, and UVA

Observations:  During his highlight reel they showed a throw he had against Central Dauphin HS, if you looked in the stands you can see a handsome lad and his aunt huddled under an umbrella (I know it was me because we were the only people in that section of the bleachers).  Oh and the kid had an absolute cannon (3 or his aunts were D-1 javelin throwers!).

Adrian Moten ***

Pos. LB           Ht: 6-2  Wt: 200     Hometown:  Brandywine, MD    HS:  Gwynn Park

Facts: Played QB, TE, LB and S in high school.  Had 90 tackles as a junior.  All state selection, First team Washington Post All-Met, Named to George Michaels “Golden 11” team.  Runs a 4.5 40.  Also recruited by Penn State, Syracuse, and Illinois.

Observations:  Another great addition to the Linebacker Corp.  Also dust off the “Poetry in Moten” quotes!

Da’Rel Scott ***

Pos. WR            Ht: 6-1  Wt: 180          Hometown:  Plymouth Meeting, PA       HS: Plymouth Whitemarsh

Facts:  Averaged 10.9 yards a carry his senior year in HS with 38 TD’s.  Ranked by Rivals as the no. 21 “Athlete” in the nation.  Won states in the 100 meters as a junior.  Also recruited by Penn State, UVA, BC, and Ga Tech. 

Observations:  You think this wasn’t brought up???  Last year when he won the 100 meters in the state, who did he beat?  How about Justin King from Penn State.  Also whenever a recruit was from the state of Pennsylvania, the “Penn” part of the pronunciation was pretty poignant (how about that alliteration, my English teacher must be proud…except for spell check coming up 5 times in about 8 words). 

Pha’Terrell Washington ***

Pos. CB           Ht: 6-0  Wt: 185     Hometown:  Waldorf, MD          HS:  West Lake

Facts: Played RB, CB, and S in high school.  Averaged 25.7 yards a carry in a game against Great Mills.  15^th ranked safety in the Nation by ESPN.  The 10^th ranked player in the state, Rivals has him as the 13^th best safety in the country, and he can run a 4.4 with a 39” vertical. Also recruited by Penn State, Virginia Tech, Florida, and North Carolina. 

Observations: In his Bio it says that he is a HUGE Maryland fan ever since he was a young boy.  I’ll take a 6-0 CB with a 4.4 40, 39” vertical, and a passion for the Terrapins over a big lazy tub of lard any day! 

Cory Jackson***

 Pos. LB           Ht: 6-1  Wt: 240          Hometown:  Morgantown        HS:  University

Facts:  Oh this one is sweet.  Right out the heart of Mountaineer Country.  Played LB and RB in high school.  Had over 1,000 yards rushing and 100 tackles as a junior.  Twice named all state, 12^th ranked inside lineback in the nation per ESPN.  Ranked the 2^nd best player in WV.  Also recruited by Stanford, NC State, Iowa, and WVU.

Observations:  Brother played football for WVU.  Other brother was drafted by MLB.  Father played baseball and football at Yale.  Cory is an advid reader who maintained a 4.0 grade point average in high school.  No qualification issues here. 

Emani Lee **

Pos. WR           Ht: 6-3  Wt: 175          Hometown:  Silver Spring        HS:  Anacostia

Facts:  3 year starter at Anacostia.  Played WR, DB, and returned punts and kicks.  All conference as a sophomore, junior, and senior.  Honorable Mention all Met pick by the Washington Post.  Also recruited by Pittsburgh, WVU, Illinois, UNC, and NC State

Observations:  Inducted into the National Honor Society.  Hearing Freidgen talk about this kid was impressive.  He goes to a magnet school, yet plays football for Anacostia.  He rides the bus/metro for 90 minutes in the morning and 90 minutes in the evening to go play football.  Just a great kid.  Got hurt senior year, but Maryland honored his scholarship offer “we keep our word” added Fridge.  Emani very grateful to be a Terp.  Also has been clocked at a sub 4.4. 

Morgan Green ***

Pos.  RB          Ht: 6-0  Wt: 210          Hometown:  White Plains, MD       HS:  Lackey

Facts:  Finished 5^th on the states all time career rushing list with 5,133  yards despite missing most of his senior year.  Also had 23 TD’s as a senior while missing 6 games.  Had 26 TD’s his junior year.  First team All SMAC (or SMIB for Jason L.)  All American (PrepStar and SuperPrep).  Rated 14^th best RB prospect in the nation (SuperPrep).  Sixth rated player in the State of Maryland.  12^th ranked Tailback in the nation (Rivals).  Ranked 8^th best RB in the nation by Tom Lemming.  Named to George Michaels Golden 11 team.  Also recruited by UVA, Penn State, NC State, Florida, and Boston College.

Observations:  Has already qualified and begun taking classes. 

Jamar Robinson **

Pos. QB           Ht: 5-11  Wt: 175          Hometown:  Charlotte, NC        HS:  Myers Park

Facts:  Started is Sophmore year as a WR, then moved to QB his Junior and Senior year.  First Team all Southwestern 4A Conference Selection.  Played basketball and ran track.  Also recruited by Kentucky, East Carolina, and Eastern Kentucky.

Observations:  Not sure where he will end up playing, but runs a 4.5 and was a triple jumper in high school.

Drew Gloster ***

Pos. TE           Ht:  6-4  Wt:  225        Hometown: Wheaton, MD      HS:  Our Lady Good Counsel

Facts:  Averaged 16.7 yards a catch as a senior at Good Counsel.  Averaged 23.6 yards per kick return.  All State selection, First team All-Metro by Washington Post, named to George Michael’s Golden 11 team. 30^th Ranked WR in the nation and ranked 7^th overall in the state of Maryland per Rivals. No. 21 Ranked WR per ESPN.  Recruited by Va Tech, Georgia, Miami, Penn State, and Oklahoma.

Observations:  Vernon Davis was instrumental in his recruitment.  VD wanted to pass the torch to Drew.  Drew’s Grandfather was an All-American QB at Minnesota.  Led the Gophers to the Rose Bowl in 1960 and 61.  Also finished 4^th on the Heisman ballot in 61.

Brian Whitmore ****

Pos.  DE         Ht:  6-4  Wt:  240        Hometown: Chesapeake, VA    HS:  Oscar F. Smith

Facts:  Set school record for tackles for loss.  Had 24 sacks his last 2 years in high school.  Made first team All State as a DE his senior year.  The #17^th ranked DE in the country (ESPN) and 22^nd ranked DE per Rivals.  Also recruited by Va Tech, Florida, Miami, Ohio State, and Tennessee.

Observations:  Ralph was very excited by this get.  A break through for Maryland out of the Tidewater region.  Hopefully the first of many.

Quintin McCree **

Pos.  WR         Ht:  6-1  Wt:  169     Hometown:  Brandywine, MD    HS: Gwynn Park Facts:   Had over 1,000 yards receiving with 15 TD’s as a senior at Gwynn Park.  Also returned 5 punts and 2 kickoffs for TD’s. Selected first team All State, and 2^nd team all Metro.  Also recruited by Tennessee, Connecticut, and Akron.

Observations:  Ran a 4.4 40. Both parents ran track in college, his dad for the Air Force Academy, the mom at Ohio University.

Alex Wujciak ***

Pos.  LB          Ht:  6-3  Wt: 235         Hometown:  West Orange, NJ         HS: Seton Hall Prep

Facts:  Named the State of New Jersey’s Defensive Player of the Year.  1^st Team all state in New Jersey, 17^th ranked inside linebacker in the nation.  18^th ranked player in the state and 24^th ranked middle lineback per Rivals.  Also recruited by Michigan State, Louisville, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Rutgers.

Observations:  Father played guard on the 1974 ND national championship, and yes, he was there the same time as Rudy Ruettiger.  Also name is pronounced Woo-jack, good nickname potential there. 

Taji Thornton **

Pos.  CB          Ht:  6-1  Wt: 180          Hometown:  Homestead, FL     HS:  South Dade Facts:  Had 38 tackles (24 solo) his senior year.  Led the defense that was ranked first in the Miami-Dade area.  Also recruited by NC State, UCF, USF, and Eastern Michigan.

Observations:  The Miami Herald called Taji Thornton “The Nation’s Top Sleeper Recruit”.  Hope he’s as good at football as his is at sleeping!!

Bruce Campbell ****

Pos.  DE/OT    HT:  6-7  Wt:  285       Hometown:  Hamden, CT        HS: Hyde Leadership School

Facts:  Had 70 tackles and 6 sacks his senior year.  First team all State, New Haven area Most Valuable Player.  No 1 ranked player in the state of Connecticut.  17^th ranked OT in the nation by Rivals.  Also recruited by UVA, Nebraska, and Michigan State. 

Observations:  Father was an area high school basketball legend and starred at Providence in the 1970’s.  Fridge not sure which side of the ball Bruce will line up on, but he is a huge addition. 6-7, 285 and runs a 4.7.

Evan Eastburn  **

Pos.  C                        HT:  6-2  Wt:  290       Hometown:  Boulder, CO        HS: Fairview

Facts:  Named first team All State by the Denver Post.  Team Captain who was also a PrepStar all Region pick.  Was voted the teams top student athlete.  Also can run a 4.9 40, not too shabby for a center!  Recruited by Clemson, Purdue, San Diego State, and Colorado.

Observations:  Friedgen called his tape the best he had seen all year.  On it, instead of the blurry footage and red circle to show where he was, the tape was DVD quality and highlighted Eastburn with a bolt of lightening before each play.  Evan is also the first known Terp from the state of Colorado, which makes you wonder how good the Football team’s record keeping is. 

Adrian Cannon ***

Pos.  WR         HT:  6-3  Wt:  200       Hometown:  Pontiac, MI          HS: Avondale

Facts:  Finished senior year with 802 yards receiving and 9 TD’s.  Set school record for receiving yards.  Chosen as the #4 blue chip prospect in the state.  Was a PrepStar All American, and an all regional selection by SuperPrep.

Observations:  Another in a long line of tall quick WR’s. 

Stephen Smalls **

Pos.  WR         HT:  6-1  Wt:  185       Hometown:  Lancaster, PA      HS: Conestoga Valley

Facts:  Played both offense and defense is Junior and Senior years.  Averaged 19.5 yards per catch through high school.  28^th ranked player in PA and 52^nd ranked WR in the Nation.  Has a 43” vertical, (which is 37” more than mine!).  Recruited by Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan State, and Pittsburgh. 

Observations:  High School teammate of Jordan Steffy.  Lets hope the Conestoga connection continues on to College Park. 

Ronnie Tyler ***

Pos.  RB          HT:  5-10  Wt:  170     Hometown:  Wagener, SC       HS: Wagener-Salley

Facts:  Rushed for over 3,200 yards in his career.  Senior year averaged 9 yards a carry.  All State selection his senior year, 5^th ranked player in the state of South Carolina.   37^th ranked RB in the nation rated by ESPN.  Run a 4.4 40.  Also recruited by Georgia, Clemson, UNC, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech.

Observations:    Not sure if he will be playing RB or WR yet.  His brother plays football for the Citadel.

LaQuan Williams **

Pos.  CB          HT:  6-1  Wt:  175       Hometown:  Baltimore, MD     HS: Balt. Poly Tech

Facts:  Played both CB and QB as a senior.  Had 20 interceptions his last 2 years in High School.  Twice had 3 INT’s in one game.  Has a 40” vertical jump.  Also recruited by Virginia, Virginia Tech, and James Madison.

Observations:  Freidgen thinks this guy is going to be a sleeper and will have a big impact at College Park.

There they are, the class of 2006 (HS Class that is, Terrapin Class of 2010 or maybe 2011).  And to make this class even more fun to watch, Kristin promised me that if these guys bring a National Championship to Maryland, we can name one of our kids either:  Emani, Jamarr, Da’Rel, Taji, Pha’Terrell, or LaQuan.  Could you imagine a 2009 NC and sextuplet’s?!?!

Are you in or are you out?  These kids are in, so let’s begin the countdown to Fall 2006!!!!  Oh will it ever get here?