/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65930216/Screen_Shot_2019_12_18_at_8.08.12_AM.0.png)
Three-star safety Beau Brade of River Hill High School has officially put pen to paper and signed with Maryland football.
“I’m kind of relieved about it,” Brade told Testudo Times on Dec. 16. “Knowing that it’s all done and I’ve signed the papers and know exactly where I’m going to school in January.”
Brade, the No. 26 player in the state of Maryland of the 2020 class, plans to enroll early for Maryland — meaning that he will start classes in January and be able to participate in spring practice ahead of his freshman season.
“Knowing that the collegiate level is much faster than high school, going early will give me a jump start on other incoming freshmen,” Brade said. He lists quickness and speed as two aspects of his game he hopes to improve upon this spring.
Standing at 6’0, 190 pounds, Brade provides a great frame to enter the college game and can build upon that with the Maryland strength and conditioning program. In high school, he displayed a great nose for the ball and was often found sneaking his way up field to meet ball carriers and lay hard hits.
Brade committed to Maryland in June and chose the Terps over offers from Michigan, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and more.
“We know it’s Coach [Mike] Locksley and his staff’s first year there,” Brade said in October of the outlook moving forward. “There’s some stuff that they still have to teach the players and they’re in the Big Ten for the first time, so we knew that this year was going to be a little skeptical. But next year I’m really excited for what’s going to happen and the years to come after that.”
With both individual and team success on the field being an obvious goal of Brade’s, he makes it clear that there is more to his college experience than just football.
“My first goal definitely would be to graduate [from Maryland],” Brade said. “My long-term goal is to be a marketing or financial manager. But of course, the other goal right there is going to the NFL. So I’ll be working on all three of those things throughout my time at UMD and will be working at them very hard.”