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Four-star linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II of McArthur High School has officially joined Maryland football, signing with the Terps Wednesday morning.
Hyppolite committed to Maryland back in April while taking in the 2019 spring game in College Park. He since became the face of head coach Mike Locksley’s vision for the program and joined current freshman Nick Cross in the role of online recruiter for the Terps.
“Coming in, I wanted to be the face of something,” Hyppolite told Testudo Times on Dec. 15. “I think I did just that and now I’m going to go in and handle my business.”
At 6’0, 225 pounds, Hyppolite’s knack for blitzing and his speed while chasing down quarterbacks and running backs in the backfield is second to none, while he also displayed a nose for the ball in coverage.
“I definitely got better as a player,” Hyppolite said looking back on his high school career. “From a body standpoint, I got bigger, faster, stronger, and better as a player. And from a team goal, I definitely made my teammates better. I was able to inspire 11 guys, a lot of my teammates, I was able to inspire them and really be there for them as a brother.”
Hyppolite ranks as the No. 45 player in the state of Florida and the No. 267 player in the nation. He is a part of a freshman class that features a plethora of talent from the Sunshine State and will be looking to make a difference early.
“There’s no pressure,” Hyppolite said. “I just have to come in and learn the system. The game hasn’t changed since I was little, so the football part of it is easy. The challenging part will be getting accustomed to the new lifestyle.”
Hyppolite has finished high school and will enroll early at Maryland. He currently plans to major in Kinesiology.