Looking Back At Maryland's Top Football Recruits From 2000-2020
Taking a look at Maryland’s top-rated prospect from each recruiting class since 2000:
2000
Chris Kelley, QB: Former touted recruit out of Seneca Valley (Germantown, Md.), ranked as one of the best quarterback prospects in the country. Tore his ACL three times at Maryland and only ended up completing 17 of 38 passes for 171 yards. Eventually moved to safety and earned All-ACC honorable mention his senior year.
2001
Randy Starks, DT: The Westlake (Waldorf, Md.) star was an All-American selection coming out of high school. He played immediately at Maryland and had a stellar three-year career before leaving after his junior season. Starks was a first-team All-ACC performer in 2003, racking up 74 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He totaled 112 tackles, 35 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks in College Park.
2002
Orlando Evans, QB: Rivals.com became the first recruiting service to rank high schoolers by the familiar star system in 2002. Evans was UMD’s top-rated prospect that cycle, coming in at 34th nationally and earning four-stars. A Stockton, Calif., native who originally signed with Oregon, Evans went to JUCO after one year in Eugene, Ore. He arrived at Maryland two years later but tore his ACL in Week 1. He never again saw action in College Park.
2003
Wesley Jefferson, LB: The ex-Gwynn Park (Brandywine, Md.) five-star talent, who was ranked as the No. 1 linebacker prospect in the country per Rivals, came into his own during his final season at Maryland. After two middling years, he had 110 tackles, three sacks and 10 tackles for loss as a junior. He was primed for a huge senior season but elected to give up football and become a state trooper.
2004
Carlos Feliciano, DT: The Elizabeth (N.J.) four-star was ranked the No. 11 offensive tackle in the country by Rivals coming out of high school. However, Feliciano was converted to defense at Maryland and had 20 starts in four years. He never reached his potential, but had a steady career in College Park, finishing with 73 tackles, a sack and five tackles for loss.
2005
Jared Gaither, OT: Gaither played basketball and just one season of football at Roosevelt (Greenbelt, Md.) before prepping at Hargrave Military Academy and seeing his profile raise considerably. He was ranked four stars and the No. 3 prep recruit in the country per Rivals. At Maryland, he started for two years at right tackle and had varying degrees of success. He was academically ineligible in 2007, though, and bolted college for the NFL. The Ravens took him in the fifth round of the supplemental draft, and Gaither ended up playing six seasons in the League.
2006
Da’Rel Scott, RB: A four-star running back from Plymouth (Pa.), Scott was known for his blazing speed. He starred as a kick returner after a redshirt season at Maryland, and then busted out in 2008 by rushing for 1,178 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns. Scott was injured in 2009, however, and managed just 405 yards in five starts. Then, in 2010, he shared time in the backfield and ran for 730 yards (5.8 YPC) and five scores. He ranked seventh all-time at UMD in rushing yards with 2,401 rushing yards and second in yards per carry (5.8).
2007
Bruce Campbell, OT: The Connecticut native Campbell originally committed to Maryland in 2006, but he spent a year at Hyde School in Chatham, Va., before enrolling. In the 2007 class, the 6-7, 310-pounder was ranked a five-star by Rivals and considered one of the best tackle recruits nationally. He played immediately in College Park, and then took over as the starting left tackle during the latter part of his sophomore season. Campbell was primed for a breakout in 2009, but suffered various injuries and ended up missing four games. He left UMD a year early anyway and was taken by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2010 draft. He spent four years in the NFL before heading over to the CFL, where he’s currently a free agent.
2008
Kenny Tate, S: A high four-star receiver out of DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), Tate converted to safety at Maryland. He saw action in all 13 games as a freshman, highlighted by an interception of Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick in the Humanitarian Bowl. Tate played in 10 games the next season, starting four times and recording 47 tackles; a pick; and two breakups. His breakout came the next year, when he started 13 times, racked up 100 stops; had 8.5 tackles for loss; recorded four pass breakups; and had three interceptions. Tate elected to hang around for his senior year in 2011, but was moved to the STAR position. He started four games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Tate, who was moved to outside linebacker under Randy Edsall, came back in 2012 after garnering a medical redshirt. But he never saw game action due to more knee troubles and went undrafted in 2013.
2009
De’Onte Arnett, DE: The No. 6 rated strong-side end on Rivals and a borderline five-star recruit coming out of Forestville (Md.), Arnett redshirted his first year and played in just two games in 2010. He was shifted to offensive line as a sophomore and saw action in five outings as a reserve. Arnett then earned a regular role at right guard as a junior and ended up starting four times. He started all 13 games in 2013, but had a rather up-and-down campaign and went undrafted.
2010
David Mackall, DE: Mackall was a touted high-four star out of Edmondson (Baltimore, Md.) before heading to Fork Union for a year, where he was eventually ranked as the fifth best recruit nationally. Moved to linebacker in College Park, Mackall played in all 12 games as a freshman and had 18 tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks and a pick. The next season, as a defensive end, he started seven times and tallied 30 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles. But in 2012 Mackall fell down the depth chart and elected to leave Maryland for Delaware. On May 30, 2019, Mackall was the victim of a fatal shooting in the Walbrook neighborhood in West Baltimore.
2011
Nate Clarke, OL/DL: A four-star guard coming out of Carroll (Washington, D.C.), Clarke attended Fork Union and was dubbed the No. 11 prep recruit by Rivals. He entered Maryland as a guard and redshirted his first year, but was moved to defense before the 2012 campaign. Clarke didn’t see the field, though, before 2013. He ended up playing eight games in a reserve role, tallying two tackles and a forced fumble. But Clarke’s football career came to an end in 2014 due to injury, and he ended up becoming a student assistant coach at UMD.
2012
Stefon Diggs, WR: Diggs was the consensus highest-rated recruit in Maryland history. The five-star All-American from Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) burst onto the scene as a true freshman, racking up 54 catches for 848 yards and six touchdowns. He added 114 rushing yards, 713 kick return yards (two scores), 221 punt return yards, and even tossed a touchdown pass. Diggs followed up with an injury-riddled 2013 in which he played in seven games. He totaled 34 catches for 587 yards and three scores, to go along with 281 kick-return yards. In his final season, Diggs tallied 792 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 62 catches. He added 478 kick return yards as well. Diggs earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2014 and then left for the NFL. He was a fifth-round selection of the Minnesota Vikings and has established himself as one of the League’s best.
2013
Deon Long, WR: The D.C. native and former Dunbar (D.C.) star Long took a long (pun intended), winding road to College Park. He initially signed with West Virginia out of high school, but transferred to New Mexico after one year to play for then-coach Mike Locksley. After sitting out in 2010, Long played one season at UNM and put up 47 catches for 809 yards. But he left the Lobos following Locksley’s ouster and ended up at Iowa Western in junior college. Long ended up setting records there (100 catches) and was dubbed a five-star recruit by Rivals and a high four-star by 247. He came to UMD in 2013 with Locksley in tow as offensive coordinator, playing in seven games before missing the latter half of the campaign with a season-ending injury. He recorded 32 receptions for 489 yards and one score. In 2014, Long played in all 14 games and had 51 catches for 575 yards and two touchdowns. After going undrafted, Long spent two years bouncing around on various practice squads. He’s now with the BC Lions in the CFL.
2014
Damian Prince, OT: The Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) product Prince is one of the five highest-rated UMD recruits since 2000. A five-star on 247 and Rivals, Prince earned All-American honors and was top 20 in the country nationally. He redshirted his first year at Maryland, but made six starts at right tackle in 2015. Prince would not relinquish the lead right-tackle gig the next three years, starting each game he was healthy. Although he never became the dominant tackle the Terps had hoped (he was probably better suited at guard), Prince wasn’t exactly a bust either. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, he led the Big Ten in pass-blocking efficiency his junior and senior seasons. He was not drafted, but signed with the Pittsburg Steelers in 2019.
2015
Adam McLean, DT: A consensus four-star recruit and All-American at Quince Orchard (Gaithersburg, Md.), McLean will go down as one of the most disappointing Terps’ recruits since the turn of the century. McLean, coming off an ACL injury suffered at QO, played in just one game his freshman year. He remained buried on the depth chart in 2017, although he did see action in nine games, totaling 11 tackles. McLean ascended to the No. 1 defensive tackle role last year, but, aside from a flash here and there, did little to clog the middle or generate pressure. He finished with 36 tackles and one tackle for loss in 2018. McLean then dropped to third on the depth chart after spring ball in 2019, electing to transfer out of the program in late April.
2016
Terrance Davis, OG: A four-star recruit and All-American out of DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), Davis has started 31 times at right guard the last four seasons. He has been instrumental in paving the way for Maryland’s potent rushing attacks since 2016, although he’s had difficulties in pass protection. Davis was limited to eight games in 2018 due to injury, and it was more of the same in 2019, when he played in only four games. Davis has one last chance in 2020 to live up to his All-American billing out of DeMatha, but he will do somewhere other than College Park as he elected to transfer out of the program.
2017
Anthony McFarland, RB: Rated four-stars across all services, McFarland was considered the third best running back recruit nationally per 247 and Rivals. He redshirted in 2017 as he recovered from an ACL tear suffered at DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.). In 2018, McFarland bounced back in a major way and earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors. In 12 games, he totaled 1,034 yards (a school record for a freshman) and four touchdowns on 7.9 yards per carry. He became the second player in UMD history to rush for 200-plus yards in back-to-back games. His 298-yard outing against Ohio State was the second highest total ever for a Terps’ runner. McFarland was expected to build off his stellar season and possibly enter the Heisman conversation in 2019, but an ankle injury limited him all year. He finished with just 614 rushing yards, 126 receiving yards and two total touchdowns, although he saved his best for last (a 134-yard, one-score outing against Michigan State). McFarland has declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.
2018
Jaelyn Duncan, OT: A four-star from Owings, Md., who went to Northern before transferring to Baltimore power St. Frances his senior year. Duncan did not play in 2018, but started each game in 2019. He struggled for much of the season, although the staff noted incremental strides as the year moved along. He’ll have to raise his game even more to realize the potential he flashed coming out of St. Frances.
2019
Nick Cross, S: The All-American four-star from DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) was a post-Signing Day flip from Florida State. Cross took part in all 12 games in 2019 and established himself as the secondary’s most consistent player in the latter half of the year. He finished with 45 tackles, two picks and five pass defenses. Cross figures to be a mainstay moving forward, and is on the fast track to the NFL.
2020
Rakim Jarrett, WR: Jarrett is the second-highest rated recruit Maryland has ever landed since rankings were implemented, and the best since Stefon Diggs in 2012. The Terps, thanks to their persistent approach and Jarrett’s desire to become another Diggs and build his brand at the hometown school, were able to flip the St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) five-star from LSU on signing day Dec. 18, 2019. Maryland won a recruiting battle against the Tigers, Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and multiple other national programs.