Feb. 1, 2012
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Quotes from head coach Randy Edsall, recruiting coordinator John Dunn, and signees Quinton Jefferson, Isaac Goins and Levern Jacobs during Wednesday's news conference announcing Maryland's 2012 recruiting class.
Head Coach Randy Edsall
Opening Statement:
"First of all, what I want to do is congratulate and thank [recruiting coordinator] John Dunn and the coaching staff for the great job that they did with this class. The recruiting is not just a two-month process, this has been an over-a-year process that we were involved with these players. I feel very, very good about the group that we have coming in.
"One of the main things we talked about was the fact that we really wanted to try to make connections here in Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. These are the areas we felt that we needed to be strong in, in order to be who we want to be. When you see between Maryland and D.C. we have 11 players, five from Pennsylvania, and one from Virginia, I think we're well on our path to doing things we want to do from a recruiting standpoint. We've been able to keep the talent that fits in with what we're doing here at Maryland.
"I'm very excited about this group of players, from the standpoint that the athletic ability that they possess. We have players that are all-state performers, some All-Americans, and a player of the year, which to me is all very impressive. Then when you take a look at 21 out of 24 were team captains for their teams. That's something that we look for in that leadership, and then when you have the ability to get out and see them and talk to their coaches, you know that they come from good programs. That was another big thing; the number of winning programs that these players came from is impressive. All those things are encompassed in this class.
"We feel very good about it and 14 of them were here at our camp this past summer. We had the chance to be around them and see them first hand and the talents that each of these young men possess. The thing that stood out to me with this group is when you go out and you sit down with these players you see the personality and confidence they have. They want to be a part of something special, they wanted to come here and make a difference. All in all, I'm very impressed and the players we needed to get we got so I'm pleased."
If this class will be the start of keeping local talent at home:
"I would hope so. I think this class is really the class that sets it in motion with the things that we want to do. One of the statements that I made when I got here was that we wanted to keep the local talent here in Maryland. Getting into some of the schools that we got these young men from, there's going to be players there every year and it's up to those guys to help us to recruit their previous teammates to come here. So, you have to keep that pipeline going."
On Wes Brown and having two Under Armour All-Americans:
"I think that's very important, because that's great publicity. Wes [Brown] was down there at the Under Armour game and decided that he was going to come to Maryland. That's national publicity and future recruits can see that Maryland is a player. To have Mike [Madaras] and Wes in that game, the first time any Maryland commits have played in that game, is impressive. That's publicity that you have to pay big money if you want to get that kind of airtime on a national stage like that. So we're hoping we can have that happen each and every year."
On recruiting coordinator John Dunn:
"John did a tremendous job. He's very organized, he's a good evaluator of talent, he's a good manager of people in terms of making sure we have the coaches going to the right places. He was also important to coordinate all the things that go into the junior days, the campus visits, the mailings, and everything else. He just did a terrific job, and he's already got some things looking ahead for what we can do better. We're not satisfied with where we're at, we just want to get better. John just did a great job and the coaches follow his lead. That's why we were able to do the work we did under John's guidance and leadership."
On how strong of a class it is:
"I think that it just shows that it's about relationships and people believing in what we're doing here. You just talk to the players, talk to the recruits and see what they're saying. They all believe in what we're doing, and I think that says it all. You don't worry about what happened last year, you focus and say here's the plan, here's the vision, and here's what we're going to accomplish as we go forward. I just wish that everybody was as optimistic and positive as all these recruits that we signed today. They want to be a part of it and they want to be difference makers. That to me is the great thing about being around this group of players."
On the 4-star running backs and what makes them special:
"I still remember a day last summer here at Byrd Stadium when we were doing our passing camp. Wes was here with his team from Good Counsel competing that day. You could see the things on tape that you really liked, but one thing that stood out in my mind was one particular play. He came out of the backfield and went down the seam and snagged the ball right out of the air and fully accelerated and took off. He's a big back, he's powerful, he's a guy who can catch the ball out of the backfield. He can run by people, he can run over people, he possesses a lot of qualities that you really like in a running back. Albert [Reid] is a little bit shiftier. He gives you a little bit more outside and he can make people miss and can catch the ball out of the backfield. With both of those guys you see players that can compete."
On the importance of character:
"Character is going to be very important to what we do and the players that we bring in. There are some players that have good abilities and everything else, but didn't measure up character wise and decided not to pursue or stop pursuing that player. This group from a character standpoint is a good group. We had 15 of them here in December, and just the camaraderie and the bonding that you saw taking place is definitely something that you're looking for, and that we'll continue to look for. I think that they all understand exactly what we were looking for and that's what you want, players that will make a difference."
On whether Kenny Goins will be an offensive or defensive player at Maryland:
"We have Kenny slated on the offensive side of the ball as a fullback. That's where we see him as being the most successful. The other thing that I think is important is that we have helped ourselves from a special teams standpoint immensely. When you take a guy like Kenny Goins and take a look at the number of linebackers that we have in this class, those are the people that are going to be your special teams guys. So I think we've aided ourselves in terms of our overall ability in covering punt and kicks, punt protection, and return with the athleticism and the number of linebacker/tight end/full back type guys that we'll be having in the program."
Recruiting Coordinator John Dunn
On the importance of leadership skills:
"When you come here it's very important. Seniors don't have to always be the leaders, it can be the freshmen and leadership skills are very important, especially in college because you have to lead yourself before you can lead others. The earlier that they have those skills it helps them as far as becoming a leader in the classroom, on the field, in the locker room, all those types of things. It's a huge advantage for us that they already have those types of skills."
On which areas were focused on in the recruiting process:
"We start in the state of Maryland and then we branch out. When we talk about a local area, we really talk about that four to five hour radius. University of Maryland is a very easy sell; it has a lot of things going for it. You look at the state of Pennsylvania, Maryland, D.C., Virginia, those places and then you add on the Georgia's and the Florida's, there are a lot of good football players in those areas. It's very important that we create in-roads there because every year we are going to be tapping that area."
On how they evaluate talent:
"Well what happens with the other evaluators that are out, they're looking at overall, not how it fits to a particular scheme or program. So when we look at it, we have to see who is the best quarterback for us in the realm of what we want to do. We have to go out and do our own evaluation because it applies to us in particular. So like with the quarterbacks, those two quarterbacks were here, we saw them in person. We threw the routes that we want to throw, we made them go through the drills that we're going to go through and those guys were the best. We have to look at it as what is best and who is best for the University of Maryland, not who's the best out there in general because it's not general, it's specific to Maryland."
On how in-depth the recruiting process is:
"I'll be honest with you: I don't know how the [Rivals.com] or the [Scouts.com] add up their lists. We feel comfortable with each and every guy that we have. We'll never just take a guy to take a guy. Every guy that we have, we've seen on tape, we've seen them in person, we've talked to their coaches, we've been to their high schools. It's a thorough process and a long road that we go through to get these guys. We know everything about them and that's why we feel confident with who we have."
On keeping verbal recruits committed throughout the process:
"Well it's tough. What the high school coaches do a great job of around here is once the kid has been committed to us, when other schools start coming in, they do a great job of saying that they're committed to the University of Maryland, this is where he wants to go so we're not going to let your talk to that young man. But the recruiting never stops; it never ever stops until their name is on the paper. Even when they're committed to you, you have to keep recruiting them like they're not."
Freshman Defensive Lineman Quinton Jefferson
On why he decided to come back after missing last year:
"Because even with everything that happened, they still believed in me and I made a commitment here. I'm a man of my word so I felt like I still had to uphold that and come to school here."
On why he decided on Maryland:
"It's just a family environment here. Coach Edsall wants us to be great and I just believe in what he's trying to do here. He's pushing us to the limit and he gets the best out of us."
On what it was like watching Maryland last year:
"It hurt because I wanted to get out there and help my teammates, but it just showed me that I have to work hard, help out and bring this team back to what it was."
On what the biggest transition will be from high school to college:
"The speed - everybody is fast and everybody is strong. I know I am going to have to be in the film room to get my knowledge of the game up. That will probably be the biggest transition."
Junior Defensive Back Issac Goins
On where he sees himself fitting in:
"I'm just coming here to compete for the starting spot. Nothing is a given and I have to work every day but I want to play and I'm excited for the opportunity."
On his family traveling to games:
"They said they were going to come to the first game, they obviously can't make every game. My mom is used to coming to every game, but she said she'll come to three or four."
On what sold him on Maryland:
"Coach Edsall sold it for me. I loved his ambition and his drive and his goals for the future. I bought into what he was saying. I thought he was a great guy, so did my mom. Just playing under him sold it."
Freshman Wide Receiver Levern Jacobs
On what he's been doing since enrolling early:
"I've been working out since I've been here. I talked to Coach Edsall and right now there is only one senior in front of me so I'm in the rotation. I've got to come in and learn the system fast, I'm trying to get that down. That's one of the good things of coming in December."
On transitioning from high school to college:
"The high school playbook was a little bit simpler. The game moves faster on this level, so I have to stay in the weight room and on the field and get my hands right for this season. High school it was pretty easy, I'm pretty sure this level is not going to be that easy."
