The LOIs rolled in on Wednesday, and Maryland added 24 recruits. We take a look at the superlatives of the class. Who is the best recruit? What position did Maryland best fill? Read below for InsideMDSports’ picks.

Abner Logan

Best Recruit

Abner Logan, linebacker
6-foot-1, 220 pounds
Cambridge (Mass.) Dexter
No. 223 overall; No. 4 state

Maryland’s Signing Day haul is full of linebackers, but none among the group—or in the entire class—stands out like Logan. The consensus among recruiting experts and those close to Logan is he should have been a national-level recruit. However, for much of his recruitment the majority of his interest came from regional schools like Connecticut, Boston College and Syracuse. For whatever reason—his location, his competition—Logan didn’t receive the scope of offers he should have.

No matter for Maryland, which was among his favorites from the beginning. In Logan, they get a linebacker who is physically ready for college right now and could be a candidate to enter the rotation as a freshman. Logan had 42 tackles, 10 sacks and two interceptions as a senior in addition to rushing 1,118 yards and 18 touchdowns in just eight games. Since he had been primarily a running back in high school, he’ll have to learn the nuances of the linebacker position in college. But with Logan’s physical ability there’s a world of potential.

Best Recruiting Victory

Wes Brown, running back
6-foot-1, 210 pounds
Good Counsel
No. 171 overall; No. 5 state

This doesn’t require much explanation. Maryland had been on Brown longer than any other school—since as long as he’s been at Good Counsel. Then his recruiter, James Franklin, left, and Brown all but eliminated Maryland. Even as the Terps crept back into the picture, he still had his sights set on his dream school of Miami, which didn’t lose a whole lot of ground despite the scandal that broke there last summer.

Franklin and Vanderbilt entered the fray, and leading up to his decision it looked like they were the frontrunners. But Maryland remained in the mix throughout, and when it hired Mike Locksley and took a transfer from Zach Dancel—whom Brown had lived with the last few years—it was the push over the top it needed. Brown announced for Maryland on national television at the Under Armour all-American game.

Wes Brown

Best Switch

Albert Reid, running back
5-foot-10, 177 pounds
Friendship Collegiate
No. 4 state

Reid was a longtime commitment to West Virginia. He backed out of his verbal commitment in late December, Maryland hired Locksley in early January and the rest is history. Not only is Maryland getting an elusive and powerful running back—Reid was named D.C.’s Gatorade Player of the Year and ran for 1,705 yards as a senior—it now has a foot in the door at Friendship Collegiate, the up-and-coming football power stocked with talented underclassmen.

Painful Decommit

DeShawn Dowdy, tight end
6-foot-4, 220 pounds
Akron (Ohio) North
No. 77 state

Maryland got a pledge from a player many considered a sleeper on Nov. 24. But that lasted only a few days, as the in-state schools began showing interest and quickly turned Dowdy. He committed to Cincinnati on Dec. 8, and Maryland’s short-lived dally with Dowdy was over.

It was Maryland’s only public decommitment.

Best Scouting Job

Caleb Rowe

Caleb Rowe, quarterback
6-foot-2, 185 pounds
Landrum (N.C.) Blue Ridge
No. 12 state

Rowe made a barnstorming tour from one summer camp to another in the hopes of receiving an offer. But until he got to Maryland, the only thing that came of his stops was some more interest and the promise that coaches would follow him during his senior year. But former offensive coordinator Gary Crowton liked what he saw from Rowe at Maryland’s camp and the Terps became the first offer for the South Carolinian. He quickly accepted, and his recruitment was over just as it began.

From there, Rowe had one of the best seasons in the state. He threw for 2,722 yards and 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. He was selected to the prestigious Shrine Bowl, where he continued to impress scouts. He earned an invitation to the Offense-Defense All-American Game, where he received MVP honors. He rocketed up the rankings and finished as the No. 12 player in South Carolina.

Immediate impact

Wes Brown, Albert Reid

Davin Meggett graduated, D.J. Adams transferred, and all that is left in Maryland’s backfield is sophomore Justus Pickett and redshirt freshman Brandon Ross. So Brown, Reid and potentially Joe Riddle will have a great chance to make an immediate impact as a freshman.

It’s not a question of whether a freshman plays, because that seems almost a certainty given the depth. It’s a matter of whether he is in a reserve role or can win a starting spot.

Redshirt first … but watch out later

Stefan Houston

Stefan Houston, linebacker
6-foot-2, 192 pounds
Clarksburg
No. 25 state

Depending on who you talk to, Houston was the best player in Montgomery County last season. He didn’t have the best statistics in the county because of the roles he played, but many observers were wowed by his size, speed and natural instinct.

He’ll likely have to redshirt at Maryland to add weight, but he has a great frame and as he physically matures he’ll be a great fit as an outside linebacker in the 3-4.

As a tight end he caught 38 passes for 698 yards and as a Wildcat quarterback he had 59 rushes for 283 yards. He totaled 15 touchdowns. On defense he had 85 tackles, eight sacks and three interceptions.

Position filled

Running back

Maryland added Brown, Reid, Riddle and Kenneth Goins, who is slated to play fullback.

Position lacking

Defensive tackle

Maryland did not add an interior defensive lineman in the class. With Maurice Hampton gone; A.J. Francis and Joe Vellano gone after the 2012 season; and Justin Anderson as a junior, Maryland has spots to fill, and it generally takes defensive lineman a year or two to become physically ready.

Maryland desperately needed a big-time nose tackle to fit into the 3-4, but it will have to wait until next year unless somebody pops up in the near future.

Biggest Loss

D.J. Reader, defensive tackle
6-foot-3, 330 pounds
Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley
No. 202 overall, No. 10 state

It was back and forth between Maryland and Clemson for the last couple months. Maryland took the lead, Clemson took the lead, and so on. In the hours leading up to Signing Day, many had Reader heading north partly because he wants to play baseball and he took to Terps coach Erik Bakich.

But at the last minute Clemson won out, and Maryland missed on a sorely needed defensive tackle.

Unsung Hero

Ryan Steinberg, assistant director of operations/recruiting

Equipment manager Ron Ohringer has been with Maryland for 24 years. Offensive line coach Tom Brattan has been here 11 years. The next person with the most time at Maryland: Ryan Steinberg.

He started as a student assistant in 2002, became an intern when he graduated and in recent years has been the de-facto recruiting coordinator. He organizes official and unofficial visits, scours the internet for film and has been the first one to find a number of prospects who eventually became a part of Maryland’s classes. In general, he makes all aspects of Maryland’s recruiting come together behind the scenes. He even spent a few days on the road while Maryland transitioned from Ralph Friedgen to Randy Edsall.

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