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Tyler Burke has signed his letter of intent with Maryland, staying true to the verbal commitment he made to the Terps on June 25. The 6'4", 240 pound inside linebacker is the ninth member of the 2014 class to officially sign.
Tyler Burke from PA is coming to College Park https://t.co/M3sRNPUg6r
— Randy Edsall (@RandyEdsall) February 5, 2014
Burke hails from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, attending Coatesville Area Senior High School. The 247sports composite considers him a three-star prospect, rating him as the 50th-best weakside defensive end in the nation and the 33rd-best player in the state. ESPN has rated Burke as the 30th best player in the state of Pennsylvania and the 38th best player at his position, awarding him with a three star rating. Burke chose Maryland over Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and future Big Ten rival Rutgers.
Interestingly enough, the Coatesville Area Senior coaching staff originally thought Burke would become the high school's starting quarterback when he first came into the program his freshman year, according to an article ran by the Baltimore Sun on the player, until they say how aggressively he played on defense. In high school, Burke spent time at tight end as well as inside linebacker, but when he comes to Maryland he will stick to the defensive side of the ball. The article also explained that it was important to Burke to stay within a two to three hour radius of his home, which Maryland is able to provide.
You can watch his highlight film here.
Pete Volk, Testudo Times managing editor: I'm extremely high on Burke, who showed great playmaking ability at inside linebacker in high school. The Terps have a whole lot of depth at the linebacking positions, so he may redshirt from the start (which will help him put on some size), but he certainly has all that it takes to become an all-conference player.
