Maryland Football Makes Spring Roster Additions
1/29/2009 7:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 29, 2009
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland football team has added five newcomers to its roster, head coach Ralph Friedgen announced Thursday.
DL DeOnte Arnett, DL Cody Blue, LB Darin Drakeford, DL Zachariah Kerr and LB Avery Murray enrolled in school this week and will be eligible for spring football practice which opens on March 24.
All five players will have four years of eligibility beginning in the fall. They should give the Terps a boost on the defensive side of the ball this spring where seven starters must be replaced, including two defensive linemen (Jeremy Navarre and Mack Frost) and three linebackers (Trey Covington, Moise Fokou, and Dave Philistin).
Blue and Kerr each signed National Letters of Intent in 2008 and attended Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy in the fall. Arnett, Drakeford and Murray completed high school a semester early.
The five newcomers each bring a strong resume.
Arnett, a native of Forestville, Md., was tabbed a four-star player by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. The 6-foot-4, 252-pounder is ranked among the top 100 players in the nation and the second-best player in the state of Maryland by Rivals.
At 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, Kerr will add size on the interior of the defensive line. The native of Washington, D.C. who played at Quince Orchard High School, was ranked among the top defensive tackles in the nation coming out of high school. He was ranked No. 31 nationally among defensive tackles by Scout.com and No. 55 nationally by Rivals.
Blue, a 6-foot-5, 270-pounder from Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md., garnered accolades for his play on both sides of the ball after his senior year in high school. He was ranked as the 64th-best defensive tackle in the nation by Scout.com and No. 78 among offensive tackles by Scouts, Inc.
Drakeford, who played at Theodore High School, is ranked among the top local players in this year's recruiting class. Rivals.com has him rated as the No. 3 player in Washington, D.C., while Scout.com places him 41st nationally among weakside linebackers.
A native of Florence, S.C., Murray was impressive on both sides of the ball in high school as well. He had 101 tackles, including four sacks, while posting 334 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Scout.com has him rated No. 42 nationally among weakside linebackers and No. 62 among running backs.
The remainder of the Terps 2009 recruiting class will be announced Wednesday.
