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Maryland Football: 2018 LB Eriq Gilyard commits to Terps
Eriq Gilyard is one of the most coveted linebackers in the 2018 class.
On Thursday afternoon, Gilyard announced that he has committed to Maryland. The three-star prospect made the announcement on his Twitter account.
Gilyard is the first pledge for coach D.J. Durkin’s 2018 class. Maryland offered Gilyard just 10 days ago.
The Trinity Christian Academy (Fla.) standout also had offers from Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Michigan, and Nebraska. According to 247Sports, Gilyard is rated as the No. 26 outside linebacker and the 54th-best player in the state.
Gilyard is also ranked as the No. 337 player in their composite rankings.
The Terrapins have had a tremendous amount of success recruiting in the state of Florida. Durkin and his staff scored six commitments from the Sunshine State in the 2016 class.
Currently, Maryland has a pair of Florida pledges in the 2017 class. Defensive end Joshua Kaindoh (IMG Academy) and wide receiver MJ Jarrell (Timber Creek) have been committed to the Terps since the spring.
Gilyard is a huge get at a position of extreme need for the Terps.
Maryland currently doesn’t have any linebacker commits in the 2017 class. In addition, Brett Shepherd was the only player at the position in the 2016 group.
Starters Jalen Brooks, Jermaine Carter Jr., and Shane Cockerille are all juniors, so they’ll have just one more season of eligibility. Durkin will obviously be able to recruit players at the position that fit his defensive scheme.
The Terps are having a ton of success on the recruiting trail even with the early results not even being the greatest. Maryland currently stands at 5-5 with just two Big Ten victories this season.
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