Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen took pride in the Terps’ in-state representation when announcing UM’s 2008 recruiting class last year.

Expect Friedgen to express similar satisfaction Wednesday when Maryland’s 2009 class is unveiled.

Fourteen local players (13 from Maryland, one from Washington) currently compose the Terps' ’09 class. Four players (Forestville defensive end DeOnte Arnett, ex-Wilde Lake defensive lineman Cody Blue, Roosevelt (D.C.) linebacker Darin Drakeford and former Quince Orchard defensive tackle Zach Kerr) have already enrolled in College Park. The remaining 10 area prospects (DeMatha offensive tackle Pete deSouza, Archbishop Curley safety Eric Franklin, C.H. Flowers linebacker L.A. Goree, Clarksburg defensive back Avery Graham, Quince Orchard cornerback Travis Hawkins, Edmondson defensive end David Mackall, Good Counsel running back Caleb Porzel, Eleanor Roosevelt defensive end Isaiah Ross, Perry Hall tight end Dave Stinebaugh and Northwest linebacker Marcus Whitfield) are expected to sign letters of intent on signing day.

The local recruits are the backbone of UM’s class, according to CBS College Sports Network recruiting expert Tom Lemming. Lemming currently has UM’s class ranked “between 20 and 30” nationally.

“I thought the class was very good,” Lemming said. “It’s a real solid, athletic class. It could be better if they got ... blue-chippers like [Good Counsel linebacker] Jelani Jenkins or [Dunbar running back and West Virginia commitment] Tavon Austin, but for the most part they seem to get whoever they want in state, unless Penn State butts in. I always rank Maryland, along with N.C. State, as the best evaluators in the country. They do an excellent job of evaluating their own state better than most schools evaluate their own state.”

Lemming cited Blue, Porzel and Stinebaugh as underrated recruits he expects to stand out at Maryland. Lemming thinks Terps fans should appreciate the in-state recruits they have, while cautioning against unrealistic expectations to land every top recruit in Maryland.

“[Some recruits are] really just looking farther away. The grass is always greener on the other side,” Lemming said. “For the most part, they’re able to keep most of the local kids at home. But Georgia loses players from Georgia. Florida loses players from Florida. ... But [Maryland does] a great job of getting on the kids early, finding out who [the top prospects] are and coming after them early.”

Bob Lichtenfels, Scout.com’s North regional football recruiting director, also rates Maryland’s class in the No. 25-30 range nationally, but stopped short of calling UM’s local haul better than usual. The sheer amount of talent in the state dictated the Terps having a heavily-local class, Lichtenfels said.

“I don’t know if it’s better [than previous in-state classes],” Lichtenfels said. “There were so many kids. That Maryland-D.C. area was packed. It was loaded. So they were going to get some of them. I think it’s still alarming that they’re not getting the top guys. But who’s to say Caleb Porzel’s not going to end up better than Tavon Austin, because Porzel is pretty special. But they were never really in the game for Jelani Jenkins. And if you’re going to compete [for championships, they need to land the top guys]. You can look at it either way. They got a high number of good local guys, but they’re still seeing quite a few leave.”

The Western Pennsylvania-based Lichtenfels has Maryland in the middle of the ACC, bunched together with Clemson and N.C. State. But Lichtenfels had plenty of praise for several future Terps.

“I love Caleb Porzel. I think people obviously are down on him because of his size, but regardless, he’s a playmaker,” Lichtenfels said. “He’s a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. I think in the future he’s going to be a hell of a player for them. ... Travis Hawkins is a fantastic athlete. He can play offense or defense there, it doesn’t really matter. I think the sleeper of the class is David Mackall from Edmondson-Westside, and [defensive back Dexter McDougle, who] they just picked up at the end of December from [Stafford] Virginia. Those two are kids that people aren’t talking a lot about now, but they might turn out to be the best kids in this class.”

While Maryland did most of its recruiting locally, plenty of time was spent down south. JC Shurburtt, who covers Southeast recruiting for ESPN.com, thinks the UM staff has a knack for unearthing gems that SEC and southern ACC programs overlook.

“They really do a nice job of finding guys that everybody else misses,” Shurburtt said. “These [southern] schools can’t recruit everybody and they miss on guys for whatever reason. There are enough good players in the South, in South Carolina, in Georgia and in Florida, too. I know Maryland’s backed off Florida, but it’s not a bad idea to start again because there are daggone good football players who don’t go to the in-state schools because they don’t have the opportunity.”

Shurburtt lives in Columbia, S.C., and is well-acquainted with the Terps' two Palmetto State recruits -- Blythewood defensive end Justin Anderson and West Florence linebacker Avery Murray. While neither Anderson nor Murray had many other Division I offers, both impressed (and surprised) scouts at the Shrine Bowl, a South Carolina vs. North Carolina All-Star game last December.

“I’ve seen a lot of Justin Anderson," Shurburtt said. "If I’d have only seen him once, I’d still have thought very highly of him because he’s so tall and athletic. He had a very excellent week of work at the Shrine Bowl. Some coaches think he’ll shift to offensive line eventually, but after seeing him on the defensive line, [guys with his size and athleticism are] just so rare to find.

“Avery’s a Mike linebacker or middle linebacker in college. He’s a physical, smart player who plays the game with a lot of intellect. ... You combine his physical nature and a player with his intelligence and instincts, and you have the makings of a good middle linebacker.”

Shurburtt also cited East Forsyth, N.C., quarterback Danny O’Brien (“tall, dropback passer with a good arm”) and Norcross, Ga., running back D.J. Adams (“compact guy, good speed and vision”) as future Terps from the South with good potential. But Shurburtt reserved his highest praise for McDougle.

“Dexter McDougle is a kid from Virginia that I think is a fantastic football player,” Shurburtt said. “He emerged late in the process after having a great senior year. He was hurt his junior year. Credit Maryland with going down and finding him before anybody else did and getting him to commit. I think that kid is the one to watch.”

Shurburtt expects the Terps to continue picking off a few kids from the Southeast each year, but the vast majority of their future classes will continue to be comprised of Maryland players. According to Lemming, that’s a good thing for UM now and in the future.

“You know what? Maryland’s an underrated state,” Lemming said. “It’s a very good state for talent. Probably one of the more underrated states that you’ll find. And I think Maryland would like to keep it that way, but [defensive line coach] Larry Johnson at Penn State has other ideas, and other schools like Michigan and Florida will come in if there’s a superstar. ... But I think [the talent in Maryland] next year is going to be even better.”

• Click here to read Q&As, season recaps and commitment stories on each of UM’s 2009 recruits.