SB Nation DC: All Posts by Pete Volk

Profiles In Terpage - A Countdown to the Football Season: Brock Dean

2013-05-24T12:00:10Z

ONLINE COUNTDOWN

Today we cover one of two promising redshirt freshmen at the inside linebacking position.

Brock Dean, Freshman (RS), Inside Linebacker, #42

via grfx.cstv.com

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 210

Twitter: Couldn't find any

Collegiate Stats: N/A

High School Stats: 92 tackles (50 assisted), seven sacks, two fumbles forced, two fumbles recovered, one pass breakup, one interception, one rushing touchdown

Recruiting Ratings: Three stars by Rivals (#37 in Pa.), 24/7 (#48 in Pa., #115 OLB), ESPN (#26 in Pa., #72 OLB), two stars by Scout (#62 MLB)

High School: Bishop McDevitt

Hometown: Harrsburg, Pa.

High School Highlights:

How'd He Get to College Park?

A two-time all-state selection in high school, Brock Dean was one of the top linebackers in the state of Pennsylvania during his high school years, and helped lead the Crusaders to two straight appearances in the state finals.

Dean received scholarship offers from Pittsburgh, Temple, and Maryland, but it was the recruiting work of Greg Gattuso that got him to be a Terp. Gattuso originally recruited Dean at Pitt, and he brought his expertise of Western PA with him to College Park, as well as a few prized recruits - including Dean and Quinton Jefferson.

Dean was impressed by the coaching staff at Maryland, as well as the business program at College Park, and he committed to the Terps in late June of last year. During the recruiting process, Randy Edsall told Dean he was hoping the linebacker could be a four-year starter in College Park, and while that's not looking to be the case, the opportunity is certainly there for him to make an impact up the middle.

Last year, Dean redshirted. He was named scout team defensive player of the week once, and made three different travel rosters.

Nickname:

"Brock of Ages"

Career Highlight:

Two straight state title games

Dream Season:

Along side fellow redshirt freshman Abner Logan, Dean becomes one of the primary back-ups on the inside, setting him up for a starting position in two years.

2013 Prospectus:

With the switch to the 3-4 last year, Maryland's inside linebackers play a more important role than ever before. At the top, the Terps thankfully have two solid and experienced contributors in Cole Farrand and L.A. Goree, with senior Bradley Johnson as a viable third option. But it's the two redshirt freshmen, Logan and Dean, who may show the most promise.

We'll talk about Logan later, but Dean was a big-time prospect and big-time player coming out of Pennsylvania two years ago, with buckets of talent and a great sense of the game. After redshirting his first year, it looks like Farrand and Goree will be entrenched at the starting positions for the next two seasons (barring a position change for Goree back out to the outside), meaning that Dean and Logan have to make the best out of a back-up situation for now. Both could make a serious mark on special teams, but with the pressures of the 3-4, the two starters will certainly need relief at times, especially against some of the faster-paced offenses. That's when Logan and likely Dean will be called upon, as two young, talented defenders who are the future of the program's defense.

Up Next:

Our next player went to a school that is one letter away from a Big East basketball-only program.

Maryland1206 breaks the second-place logjam.

Standings:

ClickClack62 - 6
Maryland1206 - 4
curterp - 3
Scaletta - 3
Redturtle - 2
802Terp - 2
thirstyturtlelives - 2
UATerp - 2
proudterp - 1
terpsfinish - 1
KHemer - 1
apgibson24 - 1
Seaville81 -1

Profiles In Terpage - A Countdown to the Football Season: Clarence Murphy

2013-05-23T12:00:05Z

ONLINE COUNTDOWN

Today we cover a former defensive end from Florida.

Clarence Murphy, Junior (RS), Outside Linebacker, #98

via grfx.cstv.com

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 245

Twitter: Couldn't find any

Collegiate Stats: Three tackles (all assisted) in three games

High School Stats: 75 tackles, 12 sacks, three deflected passes

Recruiting Ratings: Three stars by Rivals (#94 in Fla.), Scout (#84 DE), ESPN (#92 DE)

High School: Hollywood Hills

Hometown: Hollywood, Fla.

High School Highlights:

How'd He Get to College Park?

Murphy was thought to be a package deal with star teammate and cornerback Tony Grimes coming out of high school, and there was a time where it looked like they would go to Michigan together. However, Murphy committed to Maryland thanks to Don Brown, and Grimes ended up at Ole Miss.

Murphy chose Maryland because they were the first big school to recruit him, and he soon became very comfortable with Brown and Dave Sollazzo, who are no longer with the program. Other schools to offer the defensive linemen included Michigan, South Florida, and Wisconsin.

After his great senior season, in which he led Broward County in sacks, he was named first team all-County and played in the 2010 USA vs. The World game. He is also a super hero:

"We had an incident where a car overturned in a canal," [coach Scott] Barnwell said. "[Murphy] was with me and helped me rescue a baby and two people trapped in the car. There was a 2-year old in the car seat. The door had broken through and the car seat became wedged. On the other side, there was a lady unconscious in the water. It was kind of a nightmare — I can’t even tell you. But [Murphy] completely ripped the car door right off that was trapped. I don’t know how he did it, but he did it. It’s a wonderful thing that he did. That’s the kind of kid [Maryland is] getting in the program."

Murphy redshirted in 2010, and entered the 2011 season on top of the depth chart at one of the two defensive end positions. Instead, fellow Floridian freshman Keith Bowers got the nod, and Murphy played in just two games - recording one tackle against Miami and two versus Temple. He was two time defensive scout team player of the week.

Before spring practice last year, Murphy was moved from defensive end to outside linebacker. He played in just one game, the season finale against North Carolina, but was twice named scout team defensive player of the week.

Nickname:

"Boddicker"

Career Highlight:

Recording two tackles against Temple as a redshirt freshman.

Dream Season:

Murphy beats out Yannick Cudjoe-Virgil and receives some playing time as a back-up.

2013 Prospectus:

Clarence Murphy is slotted third at WILL, but with Yannick Ngakoue and Derrick Hayward coming in at the position, it's a little more stacked than it might first appear. Murphy, surprisingly, is behind Yannick Cudjoe-Virgil on the depth chart, a Division II transfer who we'll cover later. Seeing as Murphy played just one game last year, however, perhaps it isn't so much of a shock.

Murphy's hope this year is to beat out Cudjoe-Virgil and Hayward - and the latter seems very likely (while the former could be a toss-up). However, Marcus Whitfield, if healthy, could be firmly entrenched as the starter at WILL, and Yannick Ngakoue is one of the best defensive players to come into the program in recent memory. He could start from day one, and if that's the case it's nearly impossible to see Murphy getting any playing time at all over his last two years.

Up Next:

Our next player went to the same high school as one of the top running backs in the NFL (who plays professionally in that same state).

Scaletta continues the climb up the charts.

Standings:

ClickClack62 - 6
curterp - 3
Maryland1206 - 3
Scaletta - 3
Redturtle - 2
802Terp - 2
thirstyturtlelives - 2
UATerp - 2
proudterp - 1
terpsfinish - 1
KHemer - 1
apgibson24 - 1
Seaville81 -1

Profiles In Terpage - A Countdown to the Football Season: Cavon Walker

2013-05-18T18:23:38Z

ONLINE COUNTDOWN

Today we cover another one of the incoming Friendship Recruits.

Cavon Walker, Freshman, Linebacker

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 210

Twitter: @BeatinTheOdds

Collegiate Stats: N/A

High School Stats: Can not find any

Recruiting Ratings: Three stars by Rivals, 24/7 (#44 Weakside Defensive End), Scout (#85 OLB), and ESPN (#8 in MD, #55 ILB)

High School: Friendship Collegiate Academy

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

High School Highlights:

How'd He Get to College Park?

Like Jermaine Carter, Cavon Walker transferred to Friendship Collegiate (in his case, from Dunbar) in a hope to win a championship. Right before his junior year began, he fractured his foot, causing him to miss the season (it's why the highlight video above is of his sophomore campaign). His senior year, he got that championship.

Walker committed to Maryland with a group of fellow SuperFriends, but he was a Terp all the way (not even listing a runner-up school). He also received offers from NC State, Houston, Purdue and New Mexico. He played a lot of defensive end in high school (at least at Dunbar) but looks to play a linebacker position in college, and was named second-team All-Met by the Washington Post last year.

Nickname:

"Robin"

Career Highlight:

Committing to Maryland.

Dream Season:

Walker redshirts, but sets himself up as the probable starter at SAM in two years.

2013 Prospectus:

Looking at that highlight tape from two years ago, you can tell just how explosive Cavon Walker is off the edge. He's got a ton of speed, and enough strength to play on the line, even at the high school level. He's likely to slot in at SAM - so here we have a former defensive end going to the more defensive-back-minded of Maryland's two outside linebacker spots.

Currently at SAM, Matt Robinson is listed as the starter, with Alex Twine as his back-up and Avery Thompson as the third stringer. Maryland has a load of linebackers coming in this season (as we've seen so far in this series, and we're not done yet), but Walker, often a forgotten commodity with the commitments of Ngakoue and Gray taking front Friendship stage, is a very good prospect that should make quite an impact in College Park. Unlike some of the other linebackers Maryland has coming in, Walker's not too fair off from his ideal weight (Robinson and Twine are both at 230), and he's got some excellent pass rushing skills off the edge.

Up Next:

Our next player shares his first name with a former French tennis player whose son is a professional athlete in a different sport.

UATerp now has two.

Standings:

ClickClack62 - 6
curterp - 3
Maryland1206 - 3
Redturtle - 2
802Terp - 2
thirstyturtlelives - 2
UATerp - 2
proudterp - 1
terpsfinish - 1
KHemer - 1
apgibson24 - 1
Seaville81 -1
Scaletta - 1

Profiles In Terpage - A Countdown to the Football Season: Derrick Hayward

2013-05-12T18:33:45Z

ONLINE COUNTDOWN

Today we cover one of the incoming Friendship Recruits.

Derrick Hayward, Freshman, Linebacker

via media.247sports.com

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 200

Twitter: @DHayward_88

Collegiate Stats: N/A

High School Stats: 50 tackles, three sacks and two fumble recoveries

Recruiting Ratings: Three stars by 24/7 (#20 in MD, #54 OLB), Scout (#87 DE), ESPN (#19 in MD, 75 OLB) two stars by Rivals

High School: Wicomico

Hometown: Salisbury, Md.

High School Highlights:

How'd He Get to College Park?

Hayward was an early commitment for Maryland, pledging to the Terps in May last year (he was the third member of the class). He says he's the first player from the Eastern Shore to play football at Maryland, and while that's impossible to check, he's certainly one of the only ones at the Division 1 level anywhere.

Hayward played defensive end, linebacker and tight end in high school, and was recruited to Maryland by John Dunn. Maryland was the first school to offer him a scholarship - followed by Boston College, Rutgers and Navy, but Michigan State and Georgia Tech both showed interest.

After his senior season, Hayward was named to the Maryland Small-School All-State Team and played on the Washington side in the 2012 Crab Bowl.

Nickname:

"Haymaker"

Career Highlight:

Committing to Maryland.

Dream Season:

Hayward gains at least 30 pounds while on the scout team this season.

2013 Prospectus:

A hybrid linebacker/defensive end, Hayward has great height at 6'5". The only problem - he needs to put on a significant amount of weight. He's done it before, gaining twenty pounds his sophomore year of high school, but this will probably be more drastic. Hayward's high school coach said in an interview with Matt Bracken that he expects the freshman to get up to 240/250 at Maryland, which fits in very nicely with his skill set.

He's a good tackler with good speed and great height, and with the expected weight gain, he probably fits better on the strong side, with Marcus Whitfield, Clarence Murphy and the other hybrid D-linemen. That position doesn't have a whole lot of talent at the moment (and the top three players on the current depth chart are all upperclassmen), making Hayward one of the more intriguing prospects coming into the program this year.

Up Next:

Before transferring high schools, our next player attended a school with the same name as a local football powerhouse.

thirstyturtlelives gets number two.

Standings:

ClickClack62 - 6
curterp - 3
Maryland1206 - 3
Redturtle - 2
802Terp - 2
thirstyturtlelives - 2
proudterp - 1
terpsfinish - 1
KHemer - 1
apgibson24 - 1
Seaville81 -1
UATerp - 1
Scaletta - 1

Power Running Back Thomas Commits To Maryland

2013-05-09T19:22:34Z

Just two weeks after the huge commitment of local star quarterback Will Ulmer, Maryland continues to shore up their offensive future, adding 2014 running back Johnathan Thomas to the class, according to Thomas's Twitter account.

Thomas is a 5'11", 205 pound running back from Danvers, Massachusetts, playing at St. John's Prep (previously the home of Jonathan Goff, but not a powerhouse, recruiting-wise). ESPN ranks him as a four-star prospect and the #1 player in the state (as well as the 35th best prospect overall). The other three services give him three stars - Rivals lists him as the 38th-best running back in the nation, while 24/7 ranks him as the fourth-best player in the state and 45th-best running back in the nation.

Thomas lists offers from Arkansas, Boston College, Connecticut, Virginia, Pittsburgh and Yale, among others. He was recruited to Maryland by former UMass Defensive Coordinator Keith Dudzinski, and it's pretty big coup for Maryland - ESPN lists just two four-star prospects in the New England area. One is headed to Boston College, while the one who actually plays in Massachusetts is coming to Maryland.

As you can tell from that big frame, Thomas is undoubtedly a power running back. There's not much in terms of highlight footage, but here's an interview he did with ESPNBoston that includes some game footage.

For Maryland, he's the first non-local commitment in the 2014 class, following offensive lineman Jared Cohen, from Owings Mills, and quarterback Ullmer, from D.C. It is also worth noting that all three of Maryland's commitments have come on the offensive side of the ball.

At running back, Maryland has a three-star prospect coming in this year in DeAndre Lane, and with a trio of sophomores sharing the starting spot at the moment, it appears they're set for a few years. Thomas is a good runner, and should help give them both depth and safety in the event of a transfer. That is, until it's his time to start.

Profiles In Terpage - A Countdown to the Football Season: Jermaine Carter

2013-05-07T21:14:44Z

ONLINE COUNTDOWN

Today we cover one of the incoming Friendship Recruits.

Jermaine Carter, Freshman, Linebacker

via media.247sports.com

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 220

Twitter: Couldn't find it if it exists

Collegiate Stats: N/A

High School Stats: 90 tackles, three sacks, seven forced fumbles, one interception (returned for a touchdown), 300 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns

Recruiting Ratings: Three stars by Rivals (#3 in D.C.), 24/7 (#7 in D.C., #89 OLB), and ESPN (#7 in D.C., #99 OLB), two stars by Scout (#63 MLB)

High School: Friendship Collegiate Academy

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

High School Highlights:

How'd He Get to College Park?

Carter started out at Archbishop Carroll, transferring over to Friendship Collegiate Academy before his senior year. At Friendship, Carter played MIKE in a 3-4 system, making him more accustomed to that kind of defense he'll be playing in College Park (there will be a position change involved, but more on that later.

There was no clear-runner up to Maryland in Carter's recruitment - it kind of seems like he committed to the Terps because he was afraid his spot would disappear - and he was brought in by Mike Locksley. Carter had offers from Boston College, Colorado, Syracuse, and Temple. His interest list is much more interesting, as he heard from Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Nickname:

"Aquaman". Each of the Friendship group is going to be named after one of the Super Friends. Carter gets Aquaman. Don't question the methods.

Career Highlight:

Committing to Maryland.

Dream Season:

Carter puts on weight, impresses in the squad team, and sets himself up to be involved in the WILL conversation two years down the line.

2013 Prospectus:

Like we mentioned earlier, Carter played MIKE in high school running a 3-4, but he is best suited for WILL at the collegiate level due to his speed. Regardless, he needs to bulk up, and that will likely be the focus of his first year on campus (if not his first two).

Similar to Jalen Brooks, Carter has a good amount of potential and raw skills, but is not quite at the size yet to contribute at the collegiate level on a consistent basis. He will be making the switch from the inside to the outside (hopefully), and like the rest of Maryland's considerable linebacking class, should be ready to make some noise in a few years and provide some serious competition.

Up Next:

Our next player's high school shares its name with a run-down dorm at Maryland that is being cleared (along with another one) to make way for a new SUPER DORM (I think).

Scaletta joins the pile-up at the bottom.

Standings:

ClickClack62 - 6
curterp - 3
Maryland1206 - 3
Redturtle - 2
802Terp - 2
proudterp - 1
terpsfinish - 1
KHemer - 1
apgibson24 - 1
Seaville81 -1
UATerp - 1
thirstyturtlelives - 1
Scaletta - 1

Profiles In Terpage - A Countdown to the Football Season: Jalen Brooks

2013-05-02T20:11:32Z

ONLINE COUNTDOWN

Today we move on to the linebackers with a true freshman.

Jalen Brooks, Freshman, Linebacker

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 220

Twitter: @JayBryson15

Collegiate Stats: N/A

High School Stats: 93 tackles (67 solo), 15 tackles for loss, five sacks, three interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), one pass defended, 16 quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one blocked kick

Recruiting Ratings: Three stars by Rivals, 24/7 (#133 in Ga., #137 OLB), Scout (#111 OLB) and ESPN (#97 in Ga., #87 OLB)

High School: North Gwinnett

Hometown: Suwanee, Ga.

High School Highlights:

How'd He Get to College Park?

Brooks began his high school career as a safety, but moved to linebacker as a senior at North Gwinnett (unsurprisingly, he made the move after accepting an offer to Maryland). This past year, the Bulldogs went 11-2 and reached the third round of the playoffs.

Brooks was one of a series of early commits for Maryland, making his collegiate intentions clear in July of last year. At the time, he was very much an unknown commodity - none of the four recruiting sites had given him a rating. His other FBS offers come from Air Force, Ball State, Elon and Navy (with interest from Mississippi State), but Maryland's biggest competition actually came from the FCS in the form of three Ivy League schools - Yale, Harvard and Princeton. He listed the business school at Maryland and the move to the Big Ten as factors in his decision, and unsurprisingly comes off as incredibly intelligent in an interview with Matt Bracken:

"It's not so isolated on the education part, and it's not just focused on football," he said. "It's the best of both worlds...I just know that Maryland has a great reputation of being a top college, especially its business school. The ACC is already a top conference, and moving to the Big Ten is an even higher level. All the money is going to come in and feed the academic programs and research. That was pretty big."

Brooks intends to major in marketing and wants to produce movies, citing a vast knowledge of cinema. Those who follow my Twitter account know that automatically makes him my favorite player on the team.

Nickname:

"Jalen Brookheimer"

Career Highlight:

Committing to Maryland.

Dream Season:

Having a good year on the practice squad? The kid's redshirting.

2013 Prospectus:

Like we said, Jalen Brooks is almost definitely redshirting this year. Which is fine - Maryland has pretty good outside linebacking depth, Brooks could use a year to put on some size and get used to the game - it works out pretty well for all parties.

That being said, this profile would be pretty boring if we ended it there, so let's look at his future with the program. It is possible that Brooks moves back to safety, depending on how he takes to the added size that will come with a Big Ten linebacking job, but let's pretend for now that he'll staying at linebacker. Brooks will be on the outside, and it's likely that he's more fit for the Matt Robinson/Alex Twine/Avery Thompson role than the Marcus Whitfield/Yannick Cudjoe-Virgil/Clarence Murphy one (it appears Maryland has one linebacking position for safety-types and one for defensive end-types. Brooks is certainly the former).

Robinson and Twine both graduate next year (it is very strange to me that they are in the same class), with Thompson heading out the year after that. Probably two more of the multitude of true freshman linebackers coming in this season will go to that position as well, leaving a probable four-way competition at the position over the next two years. It's unlikely that all four will be in contention or even with the program anymore at that time, so the competition starts now.

Up Next:

Our next player almost shares his first name with a member of a comedy duo who was also the villain in a sci-fi blockbuster last year.

thirstyturtlelives is on the board.

Standings:

ClickClack62 - 6
curterp - 3
Maryland1206 - 3
Redturtle - 2
802Terp - 2
proudterp - 1
terpsfinish - 1
KHemer - 1
apgibson24 - 1
Seaville81 -1
UATerp - 1
thirstyturtlelives - 1

Profiles In Terpage - A Countdown to the Football Season: Dexter McDougle

2013-05-01T17:34:45Z

ONLINE COUNTDOWN

Next up is the final secondary player in our series.

Dexter McDougle, Senior (RS), Cornerback, #25

via grfx.cstv.com

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 195

Twitter: @Blasian_Kiddd

Collegiate Stats: 137 tackles (101 solo), five-and-a-half for a loss, one fumble forced, one fumble recovered for a touchdown, 14 pass break ups, three interceptions, five kickoff returns for 71 yards, one punt return for one yard

High School Stats: 97 tackles, six interceptions, 48 catches for 885 yards and 11 touchdowns, 76 carries for 457 yards and nine touchdowns, three returns (two kickoff, one punt) for touchdowns

Recruiting Ratings: Three stars by Rivals (#76 ATH), Scout (#63 S), ESPN (#28 ATH)

High School: Stafford

Hometown: Falmouth, Va.

High School Highlights:

How'd He Get to College Park?

Let today's profile serve as a reminder to the all of you how insanely talented Dexter McDougle is. Just look at that highlight tape. Or his stats from high school. Or both. I'll wait.

McDougle was teammates with Torrey Smith for two years at Stafford, and was a relatively unknown quantity during that time. His junior season, he broke two of his knuckles during a freak injury in practice, missing a good chunk of the year and entering his senior campaign not on the radar of many major programs. Halfway through that aforementioned outstanding senior season, his coach quickly made a highlight tape to send out, and Maryland, South Carolina and Virginia Tech responded in kind with scholarship offers.

McDougle chose Maryland, and redshirted his first season. The next year, he played in eleven games as a reserve cornerback, recording 22 tackles before breaking his collarbone in a scooter accident. As a sophomore, McDougle started all twelve games, even with the presence of seniors Cameron Chism and Trenton Hughes at corner. He led the team with six pass breakups and tied for the Terrapin lead with three interceptions, while being named to the Academic All-ACC team.

Last year, McDougle burst onto the scene as a starter, finishing third on the team with 71 tackles. At times he struggled in coverage, particularly on the deep ball, but him and Jeremiah Johnson proved to be quite the tandem at cornerback, giving Maryland fans genuine excitement about this year's secondary unit

Nickname:

"McDougie"

Career Highlight:

Ending last year with a career-high 11 tackles against North Carolina.

Dream Season:

McDougle puts it all together in his senior year, combining for at least ten interceptions and pass break-ups.

2013 Prospectus:

Dexter McDougle and Jeremiah Johnson will be the two starting cornerbacks for Maryland this season. If this is not true at any point over the course of the year, something has gone wrong. The two of them are arguably the most talented players in the secondary, inarguably the most experienced, and bring the kind of leadership that Maryland needs to a depleted defensive unit.

Last year, Maryland struggled with their pass defense, giving up far too many deep passes. Part of that falls on McDougle, but most of the blame has to go towards the inexperienced safety corps, thrown into duty early thanks to injury. This year, everyone is a year older and has more experienced in Brian Stewart's system. With McDougle and Johnson holding down the fort on the outside, the hope is that Maryland won't have to rely so much on Nixon and Davis in long situations. The even broader hope is that when they do have to fall on those options, the young kids show up. At the end of the day, the strong situation at corner is more than enough to feel good about.

Up Next:

Our next player shares his first name with a top Maryland football target.

UATerp is on the board.

Standings:

ClickClack62 - 6
curterp - 3
Maryland1206 - 3
Redturtle - 2
802Terp - 2
proudterp - 1
terpsfinish - 1
KHemer - 1
apgibson24 - 1
Seaville81 -1
UATerp - 1