3-star DE Anthony Booker commits & signs with Maryland football

This story was initially published Feb. 5 after Booker’s commitment.

Anthony “Tank” Booker, a three-star defensive end from Cincinnati, Ohio, pledged his commitment to Maryland Tuesday night after taking a final visit to Kansas this past weekend. He signed his Letter of Intent to play for the Terps on Wednesday morning.

Booker had offers from the likes of Indiana, Pittsburgh and Kentucky, but Maryland was ultimately able to top Cincinnati, his hometown team and longtime frontrunner in his recruitment, in the end to secure the commitment.

Booker measures in at 6’5, 280 pounds, making him one of the biggest defensive ends on the Maryland roster despite being a freshman in the fall. Even with his size, Booker showed a great blend of strength and speed in high school. While he will face bigger talent at the college level, there is no doubt he has the potential to be great at the next level.

Maryland now has three defensive end commitments in the class of 2019, as Booker joins Deshawn Holt and JuCo product Sam Okuayinonu. The Terrapins will be looking to replace the production of Byron Cowart and Jesse Aniebonam on the edge. Booker and the rest of this class will be able to show their strengths to the new coaching staff and compete for early playing time once they step on campus.

A key move down the stretch from Maryland to show a commitment to the family was also offering Bam Booker, Anthony’s younger brother, a Class of 2021 outside linebacker.

Booker became the 16th player on board, but the Terps’ 2019 class took a hit Tuesday night when three-star cornerback Tayvion Land flipped to Liberty. As National Signing Day begins, the team has 15 commits for the nation’s 72nd-ranked class. Maryland will need some late additions to build this class up further.