Mason Zimmerman commits to Maryland

Mason Zimmerman, a center from Whitehouse, OH, committed to Maryland Sunday evening, according to Terrapin Times. He's the 9th commitment of the 2015 class and the fifth commitment for head coach Randy Edsall in the past week and a half.

The #Terps have secured a commitment from OL Mason Zimmerman

— Terrapin Times (@MDTerrapinTimes) June 16, 2014

Zimmerman isn't rated by any of the major recruiting sites, but with his commitment to Maryland, that will likely change in the coming weeks. Securing Zimmerman was important for Maryland, who recently lost out on their top center prospect, Tommy Hatton, when he committed to UNC.

The other significance of securing Zimmerman is that he's from Ohio, showing that Maryland's soon to be membership in the Big Ten is expanding their recruiting territory westward. This is the second commitment in less than a week that likely resulted from Maryland's Big Ten affiliation.   Last week, Maryland secured a commitment from Texas lineman Mbi Tanyi, who said he wanted to play against the top competition that Big Ten football offers.

Zimmerman had also received offers from Cincinnati, Marshall, Toledo, and Air Force.

#MarylandPride on Father's Day. What a great way to end the day.

— Randy Edsall (@RandyEdsall) June 16, 2014