The general consensus about Maryland's class is that it's in the bottom half of the ACC. Not bad, but not great.

That's not much of a surprise, given the turnover on the Maryland coaching staff. Not only was Ralph Friedgen let go, but offensive coordinator James Franklin left for the head coaching job at Vanderbilt. Considering Franklin was the lead recruiter for the Terrapins, new coach Randy Edsall's primary job was to keep the existing commits in the fold.

He lost one big recruit in Ryan Malleck, a top tight end who decommitted and went to Virginia Tech. But he kept cornerback Jermemiah Hardy from leaving the state, and brought in defensive end Quinton Jefferson and defensive tackle Keith Bowers to shore up a couple of areas of needs.

The Terrapins scored well in other positions of need as well. It picked up wideouts Tyrek Cheesboro, Marcus Leak and Nigel King. Cheesboro and King are already enrolled and will be at spring practice, giving the team an early edge in getting time as freshmen. Gaping holes in the depth chart at offensive line and cornerback were addressed, with the line a particular area of emphasis given the lack of bodies there a year ago.

Essentially, though, it's a class of underrated risers and sleepers, which is very much an Edsall trademark. At Connecticut, his recruiting classes were never highly-rated, but always produced on the field.

Athletic director Kevin Anderson said he was looking for a new coach who could bring some excitement to the program. Edsall's not the salesman that ex-Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, the original front-runner for the position, would have been, but Anderson is convinced that Edsall can build on the success that Friedgen had in 2010.

If he does that, the seats and luxury boxes will be filled, regardless of how the recruiting class is rated. Fans will be looking for more on Signing Day next season, but for right now keeping the recruits that were already committed is the most anyone could have expected.

TOP OF THE CLASS

--WR Nigel King (Oak Ridge Military Academy, Raleigh, N.C.) -- King is already enrolled at Maryland, and could contend for playing time in his freshman season. He stands 6-3 and weighs close to 200 pounds, and could quickly become one of quarterback Danny O'Brien's favorite targets.

--DE Quinton Jefferson (Woodland Hills HS, Pittsburgh, Pa.) -- Jefferson essentially became the first Randy Edsall recruit to sign, as he committed after the new coach arrived on campus. He needs to hit the weight room and gets stronger, but once that happens he has arguably the best potential of anyone in the class.

CB Jeremiah Hendy (Bowie HS, Bowie, Md.) -- This was the guy who made the coaching staff and Maryland fans sweat the most. He reopened his recruitment following the coaching change, but he may wind up starting for multiple years in College Park given his ability and the current state of the Terrapins secondary.

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