Church and family are two of the most important things in Cheeseboro’s life, but he went into the recruiting process with an open mind, removing distance as a relevant factor in his choice. But over time, Cheeseboro said he realized that UM met his three most important criteria.

“I was really looking for a school that can help me with three things I would need to be successful in college,” Cheeseboro said. “Those three things were, a school that can fit me athletically, academically and socially. And Maryland, over time, proved they can do all three real well. Me being a Maryland guy, I can go into Maryland socially and fit in real well. I know I won’t have to be timid about my decision. Athletically, Maryland is a football school and I can see myself doing great things. Academically, with my major being criminal justice, it really pushed Maryland over the top.”

Cheeseboro, who caught 38 passes for 732 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior, joined the Milford Mill varsity during his ninth-grade year. Millers coach Reggie White had a memorable first impression of the future Terp.

“That first conversation me and my assistant had was, ‘Boy, he’s fast,’” White said. “They don’t get slower when they go to college, they get faster. So we knew we had something special.”

White said Cheeseboro’s 4.3 speed was evident on the field from the beginning. Each year has been better than the last, and while Cheeseboro’s junior season will be tough to top, White thinks he’s up to the challenge.

“His junior year was just his coming out party,” White said. “This year we expect humongous things from him. I’m figuring he’s going to get double-teamed anywhere he goes. So he’s going to have to be the guy.”

According to White, Maryland intends to use Cheeseboro at slot receiver, where he’ll be able to stretch the field most effectively. The plans for Cheeseboro in College Park are intended to mirror those utilized with the No. 7 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.

“At Maryland, the same things that they ran with [Darrius] Heyward-Bey is the same way they’re going to use me,” Cheeseboro said. “[The UM coaches said I’m] a guy that can get into the open field and make plays. They’re going to set me up with the screen and go for the deep ball. I have the same type of [style] as Heyward-Bey; not as fast as him, but I can get into the open field and score touchdowns.”

Sifting through his double-digit scholarship offers was a difficult process at times. But with the support of his family, church, coaches and teammates, Cheeseboro said he’s confident he chose the right school.

“It feels awesome,” Cheeseboro said. “I think I made an excellent decision for my football career here in the state. I feel great right now.”