What Maryland football needs in the 2017 recruiting class

Things can always change late, but the 2016 recruiting cycle for Maryland football is essentially over with the announcement of a 22-man class on Wednesday's National Signing Day.

In college sports, the end of one thing usually means the beginning of another, and so it'll be for the Terps' coaching staff as it kicks into gear shortly on recruiting its class of 2017. We'll get into more depth on Maryland's targets for its next class sometime very soon, but here's a look at where the Terps stand.

One way to approximate whom Maryland will recruit is to assess whom it will need to replace. To that end, let's review Maryland's (highly unofficial, very projected) scholarship depth chart for 2016:

(Spoiler alert: Maryland especially needs defensive ends, cornerbacks, linebackers and centers.)

Quarterbacks

2016	2017	2018	2019
Caleb Rowe	Shane Cockerille	Gage Shaffer	Gage Shaffer
Perry Hills	Gage Shaffer	Tyrrell Pigrome	Tyrrell Pigrome
Shane Cockerille	Tyrrell Pigrome	Max Bortenschlager	Max Bortenschlager
Gage Shaffer	Max Bortenschlager
Tyrrell Pigrome
Max Bortenschlager

Maryland could always use more quarterbacks, but the Terps aren't going to get left out completely in the cold with just the players on their roster now. Hills and Rowe will both be gone in a year, but Maryland should have a couple of quarterback options – albeit not necessarily ones with any experience.

Running backs

2016	2017	2018	2019
Trey Edmunds	Jacquille Veii	Ty Johnson	Lorenzo Harrison
Ty Johnson	Ty Johnson	Lorenzo Harrison	Jake Funk
Lorenzo Harrison	Lorenzo Harrison	Jake Funk	LaDerrien Wilson
Jake Funk	Jake Funk	LaDerrien Wilson
LaDerrien Wilson	LaDerrien Wilson

This might be the position of least need on the roster right now. Maryland has a couple of immediately playable options for 2016 and beyond, and transfer Veii will be eligible to play again in 2017, joining sophomore Johnson and three new signees from 2016. Maryland should have someone pretty good carrying the ball for a while.

Fullbacks

2016	2017	2018	2019
Kenneth Goins Jr.
Andrew Stefanelli

The fullback isn't a very important position in a spread offense, but Maryland still needs somebody. This could come via a converted tight end or walk-on, but either way, Maryland probably has to recruit someone who can run into linebackers.

Tight ends

2016	2017	2018	2019
Andrew Isaacs	Andrew Isaacs	Andrew Gray	Noah Barnes
Derrick Hayward	Derrick Hayward	Avery Edwards
Andrew Gray	Andrew Gray	Noah Barnes
Avery Edwards	Avery Edwards
Noah Barnes	Noah Barnes

Maryland has bodies here for the next two seasons, but I'd be pretty surprised if DJ Durkin didn't prioritize adding another high-value pass-catcher over the next cycle. The only polished receiver here is Edwards, and Isaacs has basically lost the last two seasons to injury, while Barnes is probably a long-term project. Reinforcements would be useful.

Offensive tackle

2016	2017	2018	2019
Michael Dunn	JaJuan Dulaney	Damian Prince	E.J. Donahue
JaJuan Dulaney	Damian Prince	Derwin Gray	Mason Zimmerman
Damian Prince	Derwin Gray	E.J. Donahue	Terek Zingale
Derwin Gray	E.J. Donahue	Mason Zimmerman	Brian Plummer
E.J. Donahue	Mason Zimmerman	Terek Zingale
Mason Zimmerman	Terek Zingale	Brian Plummer
Terek Zingale	Brian Plummer
Brian Plummer

Maryland should be stocked OK here for a while, but there's a decent possibility Prince will be in the NFL before he finishes his last three years of eligibility, and everybody other than Prince and Gray for the class of 2017 is relatively unknown. This is another position where reinforcements could help a lot.

Offensive guard

2016	2017	2018	2019
Sean Christie	Sean Christie	Sean Christie	Terrance Davis
Will McClain	Will McClain	Will McClain	Richard Merritt
Ellis McKennie	Ellis McKennie	Ellis McKennie
Quarvez Boulware	Quarvez Boulware	Quarvez Boulware
Terrance Davis	Terrance Davis	Terrance Davis
Richard Merritt	Richard Merritt	Richard Merritt

Maryland should be caked here for a long time, although Boulware, McKenne, McClain or Christie might eventually shift to center. Nowhere on the offensive line can ever be over-recruited-though.

Center

2016	2017	2018	2019
Brendan Moore	Brendan Moore	Brendan Moore

So, Maryland's definitely going to need someone to snap the ball. Brendan Moore is the last true center anywhere on scholarship right now – as best we can tell – and even though he's got three years' remaining eligibility, the Terps need to refill the cupboard behind him. Shifting a guard will help, but Maryland's thin here, having graduated a starting center (Sal Conaboy, Evan Mulrooney) after each of the last two seasons.

Defensive end

2016	2017	2018	2019
Roman Braglio	Jesse Aniebonam	Brett Kulka	Dion Goldbourne
Cavon Walker	Chandler Burkett	Mbi Tanyi
Jesse Aniebonam	Brett Kulka	Dion Goldbourne
Chandler Burkett	Dion Goldbourne
Brett Kulka
Dion Goldbourne

The end spots are positions of serious need. Braglio and Aniebonam are really good, but they'll both be gone within two years – maybe just one, if Aniebonam breaks out. There's almost no experience behind them, although Kulka appeared a bunch in 2015 and should get better with more seasoning. Goldbourne is small for a Big Ten end and will be a long-term project, and Mike London will require more pieces – ideally two or three, at least – before 2017. Missing out on Terrell Hall really hurts here.

Defensive tackle

2016	2017	2018	2019
Azubuike Ukandu	Kingsley Opara	Oseh Saine	Oseh Saine
Kingsley Opara	David Shaw	Keiron Howard	Keiron Howard
David Shaw	Malik Jones	Adam McLean	Adam McLean
Malik Jones	Oseh Saine
Oseh Saine	Keiron Howard
Keiron Howard	Adam McLean
Adam McLean

Maryland's OK here but could use a lot more. McLean was a four-star recruit but has been injured and is yet to actually see the field, and Shaw's suffered from recurring injury woes, too. It's probably reasonable to expect a tackle commit or two.

Linebacker

OLB	2016	2017	2018	2019
	Abner Logan	Jalen Brooks	Nnamdi Egbuaba	Gus Little
		Nnamdi Egbuaba	Melvin Keihn	Brett Shepherd
	Jalen Brooks	Melvin Keihn	Mbi Tanyi	Antoine Brooks
	Nnamdi Egbuaba	Mbi Tanyi	Brett Zanotto
	Melvin Keihn	Brett Zanotto	Gus Little
	Mbi Tanyi	Gus Little	Brett Shepherd
	Brett Zanotto	Brett Shepherd	Antoine Brooks
	Gus Little	Antoine Brooks
	Brett Shepherd
	Antoine Brooks
ILB	2016	2017	2018	2019
	Jermaine Carter Jr.	Jermaine Carter Jr.	Tyler Burke	Isaiah Davis
	Tyler Burke	Tyler Burke	Isaiah Davis
	Isaiah Davis	Isaiah Davis

This is a particularly rough projection, because we don't know where Maryland will slot new commits Brooks and Shepherd. But either way, Maryland is light at inside linebacker behind the excellent Carter, and the Terps were bad at outside linebacker last season. At outside backer, Maryland needs particular help in the 2017 class.

Cornerback

2016	2017	2018	2019
Will Likely	Daniel Ezeagwu	Darnell Savage	Travon Stott
Alvin Hill	Josh Woods	Travon Stott	Elisha Daniels
Jarrett Ross	Antwaine Carter	Elisha Daniels	Antwaine Richardson
Denzel Conyers	Darnell Savage	Antwaine Richardson
Daniel Ezeagwu	Travon Stott
Josh Woods	Elisha Daniels
Antwaine Carter	Antwaine Richardson
Darnell Savage
Travon Stott
Elisha Daniels
Antwaine Richardson

This is a bigger need area than the Terps' current roster composition would indicate. They'll lose at least four cornerbacks in the next year, and the Terps' don't have a single four-star recruit anywhere in this secondary once Will Likely graduates. They'll need to get a lot more talented and add bodies.

Safety

2016	2017	2018	2019
Elvis Dennah	Elvis Dennah	Elijah Daniels	Elijah Daniels
Milan Collins	Milan Collins	Tyrek Tisdale	Tyrek Tisdale
Elijah Daniels	Elijah Daniels	Qwuantrezz Knight	Qwuantrezz Knight
Tyrek Tisdale	Tyrek Tisdale
Qwuantrezz Knight	Qwuantrezz Knight

The Terps can probably be fine here for years, but they'll likely want at least one more safety to make sure they're covered for 2018 and 2019 behind whoever from the 2016 class is starting by that point.

Special teams

2016	2017	2018	2019
Adam Greene	Adam Greene	Daniel Sutton
Daniel Sutton	Daniel Sutton
2016	2017	2018	2019
Nicolas Pritchard	Nicolas Pritchard	Nicolas Pritchard
Nick Rubinowicz	Nick Rubinowicz	Nick Rubinowicz
Wade Lees	Wade Lees	Wade Lees
2016	2017	2018	2019
Nate Adams	Nate Adams

At all of these positions, Maryland will eventually need more players. The Terps should be OK for the next two years without any additions at any of these spots, however.

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