National Signing Day 2012: Overviewing Maryland's Commitments, Linemen Edition

We're closing on National Signing Day, the Egg McMuffin of all football recruiting days. It's a huge event all across the country; for Maryland, we'll be keeping a close eye on guys like D.J. Reader, Korren Kirven, and Stefon Diggs, all of whom are considering Maryland and would provide a huge late boost to the class. But there's already quite a sizable and, in all honesty, not entirely unimpressive base in place for Maryland. Over the next three days, we'll be overviewing that base in a series of three posts. Today, the linemen. You can read the skill position players post here.

Offensive Line

Ah, the foundation of any great offense: the offensive line. The Terrapins' OL was looking pretty solid before this class, given that they brought in eight lineman in the past two seasons (three in '10, five in '11). This group is really more about quality over quantity, and to that end they picked up two well-regarded run blockers, who should help pave the way for the newly-talented backfield. I wish there was more depth, because you can really never have too many offensive linemen (remember Friedgen's teams circa 2009?) but this shouldn't be a huge problem in the short run.

Nick Brigham

HS / Hometown: Marist School / Atlanta, Ga.
Measurables: 6-4 / 275
Other Schools: Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt
Recruiter: Lyndon Johnson
Rankings and Profiles:
---Rivals:
---ESPN: , 79, #24 G
---Scout: , #96 G
---247: , 82, #61 G
Video Highlights:

Other videos: [1]

I'm really not enough of a guru to watch film on an offensive lineman and come away with a real idea of how good an offensive lineman is ... but it's tough to watch this and not be impressed by what you see. Brigham straight-up manhandles everyone he goes against. He tends to stay pretty low, has good burst, and just rolls some guys right down the field. He looks like a potential mauler in the running game, which I'm sure Brown and Reid will like. Problem is, you basically never see him pass-block. I guess that's to be expected as a guard, but it's a legitimate concern regarding his potential transition. Still, it's tough to look at his combination of mobility (seems to have no problem pulling) and strength and not be impressed.

Mike Madaras

HS / Hometown: Good Counsel / Olney, Md.
Measurables: 6-5 / 286
Other Schools: Georgia Tech, Michigan, N.C. State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Stanford, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech
Recruiter: Tom Brattan
Rankings and Profiles:
---Rivals: , #39 OT
---ESPN: , 80, #20 OT
---Scout: , #22 G
---247: , 90, #36 OT
Video Highlights:

I really like Madaras; in fact, I think he could be an elite RT with the right grooming. He has fantastic size and is actually a year younger than his class, which means he's more advanced than most. Much like Brigham, he's dominant in the running game, just mauling whoever's across from him all the way down the field. Seeing him mandhandle some guys from DeMatha made me smile, I have to say - and not because I dislike DeMatha, but because there's still a lot of talent there, so it's an impressive feat. He's a bit shakier against the pass, which is a little worrisome given that he's a tackle, but he has time to grow. He acquitted himself decently well against Noah Spence in the Under Armour All-American Game, probably the best defensive end in the country, and there's something to be said for that. Some people obviously seem to see him at guard (Scout does, at least) and while his skillset in the run game may lend itself to that, his physique just screams right tackle to me, especially because he can still grow. That said, he'd be a great left guard, too, and the combination of Madaras and Brigham could be huge in the run game in the future. (Especially when you consider Maryland is in good early with local 2013 star OTs Derwin Grey and Na'Ty Rodgers.)

Defensive Linemen

Maryland's defensive line might lack the same stocking of youth the offensive line possesses, but they're not exactly hungry for bodies, either: remember that Maryland had two freshmen All-American in Keith Bowers and Andre Monroe, and that they unexpectedly got an extra year of eligibility out of both Justin Anderson and Isaiah Ross. Throw in a change to the 3-4, which means they have one less DL spot to fill, and numbers suddenly became a complete non-factor. The focus instead became high-quality guys and people who would fit what Maryland was trying to do in changing its defensive scheme from the 3-4 to the 4-3.

Sadly, many of those guys - particularly D.J. Reader and Korren Kirven - are waiting the process out and are unlikely to decide until Signing Day. While they wait in the wings, we have only recruit to focus on. Mr. Braglio, the spotlight turns on you.

Roman Braglio

HS / Hometown: McDonogh / Owings Mills, Md.
Measurables: 6-4 / 235
Other Schools: West Virginia
Recruiter: Greg Gattuso
Rankings and Profiles:
---Rivals:
---ESPN: , 78, #66 DE
---Scout: , #67 DE
---247: , 83, #56 strongside DE
Video Highlights:

Braglio was one of the most productive defensive line juniors in the area a few years ago, which contributed to his early offer - he was the Terrapins' third commitment. He looks and plays bigger than his listed stats, and I wouldn't be surprised to find out he's put on some weight since then, because his frame can certainly put on more pounds. He doesn't look like he has a great pass-rushing skillset and is probably more strength than quickness, but that strength makes him pretty effective at the point of impact. It'll be intriguing to see how he'll get used at the collegiate level; he'd probably be most efficient when paired with a penetrative DT like Andre Monroe.