100 Posts of Brilliance

Today marks an important milestone in INRCP history: We now have 100 posts. I couldn't be more proud of the site - it's really come a long way (despite looking mostly the same). Thanks a ton to all our readers for making this a successful venture. October 16th, 2007 seems like quite a long time ago in retrospect.

I'm going right to Tate - Kenny Tate that is. Yesterday, as some of you heard, 4-star recruit Kenny Tate accepted a scholarship at "Maryland University," but thankfully he switched his commit to the University of Maryland a short time later. Tate is big and rangy, at 6'4 and 210 lbs. His stats aren't completely out-of-this world (about 500 yds and 6 TDs), but he's definitely an athlete and a consensus top-five player in Maryland.

It seemed like the deciding factors were location, the opportunity to work with a retooled offense, and just feeling like he fit in. Another bonus was that his parents liked Maryland.

Here's the video:



Also, Matt Bracken did a little interview, and here's the parts I appreciated:

Favorite music: Aaliyah

Favorite movie: The Bodyguard

Favorite TV show: Scooby-Doo, Mickey Mouse, cartoons

Favorite thing about College Park: “Chipotle. That’s the spot.”

Fascinating insights, indeed. Chipotle is probably the No. 1 thing about CP.

Also tomorrow, the Terps men play Georgia Tech tomorrow. The Yellow Jackets are 5th in the conference in offense, but dead last in defense and FG% defense. By contrast, Maryland is No. 1 in both of those categories. GT is a spot below us in the conference standings, so it's important to win to start distancing ourselves from the rest of the mediocre ACC pack.

Let's get a win - Go Terps.

Word on the Street: Tate Coming to Maryland

Josh Barr's Recruiting Insider has UMD fans on alert that sought-after wideout Kenny Tate wants to be a Terp. He has a press conference scheduled for today at 5 p.m. (as if we hadn't said it enough), and is choosing between Maryland and Illinois.

I really shouldn't be making promises, but from what I hear, Maryland is a good environment for Tate and is desirable. He's a local standout at DeMatha, and he was a starter for the East in the Senior Bowl. He would be a huge aquisition for the Terps - a perfect option on the other side of fellow four-star recruit. A while back, Matt Bracken had a conversation with his high school coach: Read it here.

Also, some of you know by know I'm obsessed with Recruiting Report, but I really liked today's "Getting to Know You" feature with Davin Meggett. Here's my personal highlights:

Favorite TV show: The Boondocks on the Cartoon Network

Favorite book: The Bible and Football Physics by Timothy James Gay

Favorite thing about College Park: “The energy of the students and just the livelihood, how real they are.”

Hobbies: Playbooks, making new plays, coming up with blocking schemes and checks

I know he takes football seriously, but I hope he can get some new hobbies - like pottery or Scrabble or something. I feel like one cannot live on sports alone - even me (believe it or not).

UPDATE: We got Tate. He seemed really nervous, but he managed to spit out, "I will be attending Maryland University ... Soon as I sign those papers, I'm a Maryland Terrapin."

More info at Recruiting Insider.

Photo Credit: Washington Post

Hope Abound: Maryland Recruits

Some events are coinciding that really make it a good time to look at what Maryland is doing with recruiting. Let's take a looksee:

- Davin Meggett, son of former NFL baller David Meggett, is tearing it up with Surrattsville. There's an article in the Washington Post profiling the young man and telling about how he's basically carrying the team on his shoulders. From a scouting perspective, he projects as a faster Lance Ball: about 5'8 and 210 pounds, and 4.4 speed. I would link you to his highlight video, but it doesn't really show that much, honestly. During the season, he has amassed nearly 2,000 total yards and 30 total touchdowns. You can keep track of all of the football recruits weekly at Recruiting Report.

- Speaking of Recruiting Report, the commencement of the college basketball signing period saw Maryland ink shooting guard Sean Mosley and center Augustus Gilchrist(A.K.A. No. 52 on Rivals.com). Matt Bracken, the guy who runs Recruiting Report, wrote an excellent profile of Mosley and why he decided to come to Maryland. I wouldn't say he's the next Juan Dixon, because Baltimore has been giving this guy love for years, but it is nice to have a "hometown hero" joining the squad. Next year, we'll have one of the deepest teams in the conference - with Mosley and Gilchrist plus the 6 freshmen from this year backing the veteran leadership of Vasquez, Hayes and Milbourne. This is why I don't want to study abroad next spring semester. I honestly mean that.

- About Recruiting Report, on a personal note, I find it extremely helpful. Bracken really does a bang-up job of helping Terp fans know their recruits before they even step on the field or the court for the first time. He does a lot of work on it and takes special care to cover local athletes. I read it almost daily. Plus I get to find out nice little tidbits, like how UMD commit Cody Blue crushed my high school last weekend in football. (By the way, my friend who is a freshman OT at Richmond this year says he can take Blue any day of the week, and that he routinely owned him in protection when they played each other. I'm not trying to be negative, but I believe it.)

Anyway, that's enough for now. Go Hebron!

... and go Terps, too.