Tom Luginbill is the National Recruiting Director and Analyst for ESPN’s Scout, Inc. At Palomar College, Luginbill was a Junior College All-American. Upon transferring to Georgia Tech, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Rookie of the Year. Luginbill would transfer again, and spend his last year of collegiate eligibility at Eastern Kentucky.

Luginbill had the opportunity to play as a professional, spending two seasons in the Arena Football League. Building off of his playing experience, he was able to land coaching positions in the AFL, XFL, and NFL Europe.

Luginbill’s father was a Head Coach at San Diego State, as well as the XFL and NFL Europe.

With the National Signing Day around the corner, Mr. Luginbill has graciously agreed to provide some analysis on the University of Maryland and the Terp’s 2011 Football Recruiting class.

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Maryland’s Offensive Coordinator and lead Recruiter James Franklin left the program to become the Head Coach at Vanderbilt. Coach Friedgen was subsequently told he would not be allowed to return for the remaining year left on his contract. After interviewing former Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach, the Terrapins hired former University of Connecticut Head Coach Randy Edsall. Do you think Maryland made the right decisions to jettison Friedgen and hire Edsall over Leach?”

Tom Luginbill: “Time will tell. Friedgen won a lot of games at a school that had not won many prior to his arrival. I know Leach would have been the sexy hire, but what you get with Edsall is a guy that has won under adverse conditions, has won with limited resources and proven he can build a  program over the long haul. There are obviously challenges at Maryland, but Edsall has dealt with that before. I don’t know if I agree with terminating a guy that was coach of the year in the ACC, but if the move needed to be made I believe they brought in a winner in Edsall.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “The 23 current players that have provided their verbal commitment to MD are ranked 49th by Scout.com, and 36th by Rivals.com. Where does ESPN’s Scout Inc. currently rank the Terrapins class?”

Tom Luginbill: “We don’t rank classes past a Top 25 and right now Maryland would sit right outside of our Top 25. Come signing day I think they will have a class that belongs in the top half of the ACC. As it relates to class rankings, keep in mind it is all on paper and doesn’t mean a thing. You won’t really know how good a class is for at least two years, maybe three. We caution fans all the time not too get caught up in class rankings. Each program has their own set of criteria. You need to get the good player, but also the right fit and that can be different for each program.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “What players that previously provided their verbal to Friedgen and Franklin, do you believe are now ‘in play’ and may not sign with Maryland?”

Tom Luginbill: “At this point I would say none. There really have not been defections. Between Franklin leaving and the hiring of Edsall this class has remained intact which is a real positive and testament to the program and how their commits feel about it. Of course anything could happen come signing day but if major changes were going to happen I think you would have already seen it.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “We have heard that some players that previously provided their verbal to Connecticut might now be hearing from Edsall at MD. (In particular Baltimore’s Adrian Amos – RB, Calvert Hall) We are also now seeing UConn targets such as Larry Franklin (Vero Beach, FL – Safety), Brandon Clemons (Milford, PA – DT), Brandon Reddish (Brooklyn, NY – WR), Sherrod Baltimore (Fort Washington, MD – DB) listed as considering Maryland. Which of these players do you think the Terps have the best chance of adding to their class?”

Tom Luginbill: “It would be irresponsible for me to give an accurate assessment of that, but I will say that the main targets would be Amos and Baltimore simply because it is important for Maryland to keep area kids at home.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Looking at the players that have given their verbal to MD, lets get your quick hits on the talent at some of the skill positions.

Baltimore Sports and Life: “The WR’s and TE’s – Nigel King, Marcus Leak, Tyrek Cheeseboro, Ryan Malleck?”

Tom Luginbill: “King and Leak are two of the top three rated kids in Maryland’s class and significantly upgrade their offensive skill. King is your bigger, red-zone type guy and Leak is going to be more of a space player. Cheeseboro is just an all around good football player. Does all the little things well and you know what you are going to get from him. He is actually a PG from the 2010 class. Malleck is a better player in the passing game right now than he is as an in-line blocker. Very gifted pass catcher.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “How about the RB’s and FB’s – Tyler Cierski, Brandon Ross?”

Tom Luginbill: “Ahh, the fullback – a dying breed. Cierski is old school. Rough and tumble. He is a runner, pass protractor and blocker, but does not have as much experience as a true lead fullback, but has the tools to develop as one. Ross is a downhill, straight ahead runner with good agility and feet. Not flashy, but steady and tough. Is a good North-South presence.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “There are a number of highly thought of prospects that remain uncommitted to anyone, that are considering MD. Players such as RB Bishop Sankey, DT Marquise Wright, S Terrell Chestnut, WR Dominque Terrell, CB Steve Montgomery, and WR Melvin Robinson. Do you see any of those players committing to Maryland?”

Tom Luginbill: “Sankey would be a nice get, but it may be hard to pull him out of the Northwest. Marquise Wright is likely the top target due to the position he plays. He is a disruptive force. If they could land Terrell it would speak volumes for the program and make an instant statement for Edsall.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Maryland ended this season 9-4 overall, 5-3 in the ACC, and ranked in the Top 25 Nationally. When you look at the Terps compared to the ACC Atlantic, as well as other regional teams such as Penn State, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers; what do you think this Maryland program is capable of achieving over the next 3-5 years?”

Tom Luginbill: “There is no reason why Maryland should not be a minimum seven win team each year and this on a down year. If you can win 10 games in a tenure more than once as Friedgen did, you can definitely win eight to nine every couple of years and contend for a conference title. The state of the Atlantic is highly competitive because of the proximity of the teams and with FSU rising, things are heating up.”

Chris Stoner
Chris Stoner

Owner

Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.

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