More on the Newest Terp, Darius Kilgo

Two commits in just a couple of days isn't something that most of us expected. Unfortunately, these commits are harbingers of Maryland's recruiting momentum - it's dying.

I want to make clear that I'm not criticizing Kilgo here - but the staff seems to be gravitating away from their top targets, especially those that are in-state. Maryland has just a few more spots open to take scholarships, probably one or two left, if that. Before a few days ago, there was still some (not much, but some) hope that they staff could close with JR Ferguson, Louis Young, Brandon Coleman, or Josh Furman, all of whom are top ten players in the state and pretty well-regarded. The acceptance of the two newest commits, Kilgo and Rahsaan Moore, indicate that the staff is starting to give up on those guys, if they haven't already.

Remember, too, that Josh Lovell is all but a commit already (there's a more telling link than that, I just need to find it), and will be making his pledge this January as long as his grades are in place. The spots for the others are shrinking rapidly, if they're even still there.

The biggest question I had about Kilgo was the position he'll play. He's definitely too big to be anything other than a defensive tackle, which I found odd, because Maryland already has two DTs in this class, Andre Monroe and Brice Laughlin, both of whom are ranked higher than Kilgo by most services. Nate Clarke, the highest ranked Terp commit, is projected by most as an offensive lineman, but has shown a desire to play DT, too. They also brought in Justin Anderson and Zach Kerr last year - suffice it to say the DT spot is pretty loaded. Having five, possibly six, DTs in two classes isn't good roster planning, and will likely result in a large amount of dead weight (particularly if the 315 Kilgo or the 325 Kerr become the dead weight).

That's why I'd be surprised if one of those guys, if not two of them, ended up switching positions. Up until a few hours ago, I wasn't sure where they'd change to - defensive end is pretty well occupied, with DeOnte Arnett, David Mackall, Nermin Delic, Rahsaan Moore, and Ian Evans all coming in either this year or next year. It so happens that Moore will probably be a FB, not a DE, which does open up a spot for at least one of them to move over to - still, there's a strange build-up at that spot that I didn't really expect, and it's questionable planning.

Anyway, with that out of the way, the Terps could do worse than Kilgo. He's a huge body with decent athleticism, though he's not as finished as, say, Zach Kerr, who's even bigger and arguably more athletic. He'll need some molding from Dave Sollazzo, who has a questionable track record in that field (the last great Terp defensive lineman? Shawne Merriman? Dre Moore?). At the moment, he's a space eater who should be able to hold his ground against anything but the strongest offensive linemen, but won't be making any plays in the backfield.

At least, that's what being's said about him on ESPN and Rivals. His one on one tape shows some disruptiveness - granted, that's not in pads, but he busted through a double team and didn't really get beaten, not even once.

The most encouraging thing is his offer list. Whether these were real or not is debatable, but he claims offers from Auburn and Tennessee, two schools faring pretty well in the recruiting category at the moment. Generally, my take is that if they're good enough for them, they're good enough for us, especially if I haven't seen game tape.

Overall, I think he can be a good player, but the timing of it and the strength at his position makes me a bit skittish.