A recurring series where we will profile every player on Maryland's roster, counting down to kick-off against William & Mary on September 1. Thanks to OBNUG for the idea.
Today we profile a player who was the top target in high school of one of Maryland's 2012 quarterback commits.
Anthony Nixon, Freshman, Safety
Stats:
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185
Major: Undecided
Twitter: Haven't found
Collegiate Stats: N/A
High School Stats (Senior Year): 30 receptions, 11 touchdowns, 45 tackles (15 assisted), seven pass breakups and three interceptions
Recruiting Ratings: Three stars by Rivals, Scout (#46 S), 24/7 (#38 in PA, #142 WR), two stars by ESPN (#39 in PA, #150 ATH)
High School: Central Catholic
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
High School Highlights:
Can you dig the subliminal messaging? I just know all Nixon does is win, win, win no matter what.
How'd He Get to College Park?
Nixon played safety and wide receiver at Central Catholic, catching 34 passes for 699 yards and intercepting three passes as a junior named to the Fabulous 22 team, and then improved on that with a great senior year.
Last June, Nixon's quarterback, Perry Hills, committed to Maryland. About a month later, Nixon joined him. The two were recruited by Greg Gattuso, Maryland's defensive line coach and Pittsburgh recruiter extroardinaire. Nixon's only other offer came from Pitt, but he also received interest from a host of big-time programs, including Michigan State, Penn State, Stanford and West Virginia.
Nickname:
"Saint Anthony"
Career Highlight:
In an interview with Matt Bracken, he said his best football moment was his official visit to College Park. So that.
Career Lowlight:
N/A.
Dream Season:
Nixon beats out Undray Clark as Eric Franklin's back-up.
Nightmare Season:
Redshirt?
2012 Prospectus:
At safety, Maryland has a few more options than at corner. Matt Robinson and Eric Franklin are entrenched as starters, and A.J. Hendy is a solid third option. Beyond that, redshirt freshman Undray Clark and senior walk-on Clarence Claiborne provide some depth, but shouldn't expect to see too much time.
Nixon and Joe Riddle are the only two safeties coming in to Maryland's team next year, and both of them made their mark on offense in high school. While Nixon was very good as a safety, it's safe to assume each of them are going to need at least a year (if not more than that) to get acclimated to playing in the secondary at the college level.
In terms of 2012, it's most likely that Nixon redshirts, unless injury strikes again (which is probable, unfortunately). You've got to think that with Clark coming off a redshirt, the Maryland coaches will want to preserve a year of eligibility for Nixon, eliminating him from seeing the field in 2012.
Up Next:
Our next player went to the same high school as the UCF player who died tragically in 2008 after conditioning drills.