Deltron Sands: Maryland to Big Ten 'drew me to them'

Maryland's move from the ACC to the Big Ten has already made an impact on football recruiting in year one. With 15 high school prospects currently committed to the University of Maryland, and likely more on the way, the future is looking bright for one of the Big Ten's newest additions.

Three-star running back Deltron Sands, according to the 247sports composite, is yet another future Terp to cite the school's move to the Big Ten as a primary reason for committing. The tailback from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., plays for one of the most prestigious football programs in the United States.

He says the Terrapins' switch in conferences "really drew me to them."

Sands also says playing for Maryland gives him a chance to start as a freshman and he looks forward to a challenging Big Ten schedule.

"I have an opportunity to go in there and play as a true freshman-to start," Sands said of Maryland. "Plus they moved to the Big Ten and the schedule is going to be more competitive."

The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders won four state championships in the past seven years and finished 10-3 last year with Sands serving as a change-of-pace back. With 4.45 wheels, Sands will likely play in a similar role for the Terrapins if given playing time in 2015.

The Maryland coaching staff first got a look at Sands when Defensive Coordinator Brian Stewart took a visit to St. Thomas Aquinas during the fall of his junior season. Powell did not see a regular season game, but instead saw Sands go up against the Raider defense in a scrimmage.

"We have the best defense in the nation," Sands said of St. Thomas Aquinas. "If I can do something against them then I can line up and do something against anybody."

Sands visited Maryland for the first time at Randy Edsall's "Big Show" event earlier this summer where he talked with fellow commit Jameel Cook. Sands said the two future Terrapins, who are both Florida natives and wear the same number on their backs, hit it off at their unofficial visit.

"We met at the camp...and started to get close with each other," Sands said of Cook. "We're both number four and he [plays] defense and I'm on offense so [we will] be like the next Will Likely and Wes Brown."

Sands and Cook planned to take their official visits together when Ohio State comes to town on October 4, for Maryland's first home Big Ten matchup.

Sands also had a chance to meet current Terrapin receivers Stefon Diggs and Deon Long at the "Big Show" event, who gave the rising senior a few words of wisdom upon beginning his career at Maryland.

"They told me to just keep working hard and that everything is going to fall into place," Sands said of Diggs and Long. "They were telling me to keep grinding."