Maryland football is an ‘early favorite’ for Alabama grad transfer DB Maurice Smith

The Maryland football team is one of several “aggressively pursuing” Alabama defensive back graduate transfer Maurice Smith, AL.com’s Matt Zenitz reports.

Miami, Georgia and USC are the other schools named in the running for Smith, so Maryland’s up against stiff competition. But Smith, if the Terrapins could get him, would be a worthwhile investment of recruiting time and energy. He’ll be allowed to play immediately wherever he goes.

Smith was a four-star recruit in the class of 2013 and one of the best cornerbacks in the country, hailing from Sugar Land, Tex. Florida, then the employer of current Maryland coach DJ Durkin, was among the prominent schools to recruit him. Maryland defensive backs coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, who’d be Jones’ position coach if he came to Maryland, was a recruiting staffer with Alabama last year.

Here’s Zenitz, with some details on Smith’s Crimson Tide career:

While Smith was never a full-time starter at Alabama, he was contributing on defense as early as his true freshman season in 2013 and was in the mix to be the Tide's starting nickel back this season.

He was Alabama's first-team nickel back throughout the spring and during the Tide's spring game in April.

Smith wasn’t a top-of-the-depth-chart guy for Alabama, but that’s more a reflection of Alabama’s outrageous defensive back depth than anything wrong with Smith. He’d likely be the most naturally talented player on Maryland’s defense, and it should be viewed as something of a coup if the Terps can land him.

Smith played in six games as a freshman and then in eight during each of the last two years. He has five passes defensed in his career, to go with 1.5 sacks and 38 tackles in total. If he were to come to Maryland, he’d surely start immediately at cornerback across from Will Likely. Smith has one year of eligibility remaining.