Aaron Thompson commits to Maryland: Terps land 3-star defensive tackle

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., defensive tackle Aaron Thompson has committed to play college football at Maryland, he announced on Thursday. He's the second Floridian commit in two days for Maryland coach DJ Durkin.

After Talking It Over With My Family I Have Decided To Commit To The University Of Maryland #GoTerps pic.twitter.com/U3iVCfYhCJ

— Aaron B Thompson Jr. (@ITSGREATNESS_99) January 21, 2016

Thompson is rated on the 247Sports Composite as a three-star prospect – the No. 31 strong-side defensive end in the 2016 class and the No. 93 player overall in talent-laden Florida.

Thompson's profile at 247 lists Maryland receivers coach Chris Beatty as his primary Terrapins recruiter. The same is true of Osceola, Fla., running back LaDerrian Wilson, who committed on Wednesday. Thompson had drawn interest from a long list of schools and claims offers from Clemson LSU, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

He's an important pickup for Maryland, which only had one other defensive recruit lined up for its 2016 class (cornerback Travon Stott) and will need to contend with a handful of front-seven losses, including ends Yannick Ngakoue and Quinton Jefferson to the NFL Draft. With four-star prospects Dwayne Haskins and Keandre Jones gone to Ohio State, Thompson slots in as the No. 5-rated recruit in Maryland's class.

Durkin said when he was hired that he'd prioritize the South, including Florida, where he has roots from his time on Will Muschamp's Florida Gators staff. His staff is following through early on that promise.

Here's video of Thompson: