4-star DT Tommy Akingbesote commits to Maryland football

Maryland football continued its recruiting hot streak for the 2021 class, landing four-star defensive tackle Tommy Akingbesote Wednesday night.

Mike Locksley and his staff have struck gold recruiting along the defensive front, which now includes the top five players in the 2021 class — all of which are from the DMV.

Akingbesote is listed as the highest-rated three-star recruit (0.8900) in the 24/7 Sports Composite rankings, but 247Sports and ESPN each have him ranked as a four star with 24/7 listing him as the No. 134 player overall and No. 9 defensive tackle in the class.

The rising senior at Charles H. Flowers High School in Prince George’s County stands at 6’4, 270 pounds and is a key piece of the Jaguar defense.

With a big body and strong arms, Akingbesote is able to create separation at the line and make his move in recognizing pass versus run effectively. Combined with his ability to get off the line, he usually finds himself in the backfield quickly with ease.

His mix of speed and size allow him to play tackle but also shuffle out to the edge where he can serve as a defensive end in some sets.

At the defensive tackle position, Maryland now has three four-star recruits with Akingbesote joining Marcus Bradley and Taizse Johnson in the 2021 class.

As a whole, the Terps now have 15 commitments in next year’s recruiting class, including 13 from the DMV area. The addition of Akingbesote moves Maryland up to No. 11 in the nation while remaining No. 5 in the Big Ten.