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 is expected to be the back-up nose tackle this season.
Darius Kilgo, Sophomore (RS), Defensive Tackle, #97
via grfx.cstv.com
Stats:
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 300
Major: Criminal Justice
Twitter: @D_kilgo97
Collegiate Stats: Five tackles (one assisted)
High School Stats (Senior Year): 67 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles
Recruiting Ratings: Three stars by Rivals, Scout (#56 OG), two stars by ESPN (#114 DT)
High School: Weddington
Hometown: Charlotte, Nc.
High School Highlights:
None that we could find.
How'd He Get to College Park?
Kilgo is an example of who you choose to believe – recruiting sites or the teams themselves. While he was ranked fairly poorly by the four scouting agencies, the hulking defensive tackle pulled in offers from Auburn, Michigan State, South Carolina and Tennessee, among others. In these cases, I tend to side with the teams who offered him, and Kilgo has got quite an impressive list.
After his junior season, Kilgo was named all-conference and all-county. He was recruited to Maryland by Lee Hull, one of the few assistant coaches retained by the new staff, and also played offensive guard in high school (as well as basketball and track).
Kilgo redshirted in 2010, and was named scout team defensive player of the week once. Last season, he played in five games, with two multiple-tackle games (Florida State and Boston College).
Nickname:
Darius "Ghostface" Kilgo
Career Highlight:
His UMTerps profile lists him as a "bulky defensive tackle who attacks blockers".
Career Lowlight:
Nate Clarke switching to nose tackle.
Dream Season:
Kilgo holds off Clarke, securing the back-up nose tackle position and putting himself in a good position to be the starter next year.
Nightmare Season:
Clarke beats him out for the job, giving Kilgo little chance of ever starting at Maryland.
2012 Prospectus:
Darius Kilgo is listed as the back-up at nose tackle to A.J. Francis, but with the addition of Nate Clarke at the position, it's really unsure where he's going to fit now. There's no doubt Kilgo has the size to play nose tackle at the top level, but so does Clarke. It'll really come down to which one has quicker feet and better moves on the line.
Either way, both Kilgo and Clarke will see time off the bench this year. The real question is who starts next year. Assuming Maryland's coordinator rotation stops and they stick with the 3-4, either one of them should make a quality nose tackle to stick in the middle and clog up space. At the end of the day, they don't need a playmaker (like Francis) at nose tackle, while it is certainly nice to have one. Instead, the most important trait for the position is someone who can eat space, and Kilgo and Clarke certainly fit that requirement.
Kilgo is the back-up for now, and should probably expected to hold that spot come fall. But by the end of the year, don't be surprised if it's Nate Clarke backing up A.J. Francis.
Up Next:
Our next player shares his name with, well, an unpopular figure in Maryland sports.
Maryland1206 got yesterday's right again, giving him a four-point lead..
Standings:
Maryland1206 - 5
Terpsfinish - 1
ClickClack62 - 1
Mdak06 - 1
kbuts151 - 1
Everybody else - 0