When Rahsaan Moore's commitment was announced recently, the first six comments were ridiculing Ralph and his staff because of the other, minor programs who had offered Moor. How many will be back here to credit the Terps when a recruit like Kilgo chooses MD over top programs?

Great point, Shas. I was going to be more sarcastic and say this is a huge get since this guys must be amazing as a couple good SEC and Big 10 schools wanted him. But ECU, maybe he's just good, not great?

MD has needed DL talent for a long time. Seems like the instate talent slips away for a wide variety of reasons.

Great job Ralph.

By the way, for all those Ralph haters, please let me know which top coach would come to Md that would be better? Mike Tice? Any chance of that?

Some alumni think that because he (Tice) didn't graduate that he wouldn't be the right choice. I disagree. I think if, when it's Ralph's time to go, that Tice came it would give him an opportunity to both graduate and give back to his alma mater. That being said JF is a 99.9% almost sure-thing the next HC at Maryland.

Sounds good-huge guy with offers from SEC schools. I really like the linemen and QB's that Ralph is bringing in this year and the past couple. I think the team can def be better over the next four years than they have been this year.

He needs more DeMatha/Good Counsel/Gilman guys though. Its good to bring in winners from winning programs.

Matt, Maybe Kilgo will turn into a real steal for the Terps, but right now it's only his high school coach predicting he's going to be an 'impact player' at UM; you won't find any of the experts calling him that.

The reality at this point is that he's just a mediocre talent (Rivals.com *** Scout.com ***), which is why the nation's top programs didn't bother recruiting him.

Did Florida want him? No. Did Alabama want him? No. Did Georgia Tech want him? No. Did Clemson want him? No. Did LSU want him? No. Did Texas want him? No. Did TCU want him? No. Did Pitt want him? No. Did Penn State want him? No. Did Ohio State want him? No. Did Iowa want him? No. Did Michigan want him? No. Did Southern Cal want him. No....etc., etc.

I don't mean to sound like I'm coming down too hard on Kilgo, because I'm sure he's good enough to warrant a scholarship and sometimes the experts are wrong (I wish him a successful career and hope he proves us doubters wrong), but if Maryland was good team he'd be the kind of solid backup player recruited to provide depth, not to be a difference maker.

In sum, he's a typical so-so, pedestrian commit for the Terps. No fan should get excited about this news; as long as this is what constiutes an "impact player" for Maryland, as long as this is the best the school can do for commits, this program is going nowhere fast.

If the Terps were a Divison II school, this news would be reason to celebrate. But for an ACC team that seeks to be numbered among the elite football schools it's pretty depressing, not that Kilgo's bad or anything like that, simply that he's a middling talent who seems to represent the glass ceiling player, above which UM can't seem to rise.

When are the Terps finally going to start getting the ***** and **** players on a consistent basis? Ever?

Ken -- I hear what you're saying. This class doesn't have the star power that last year's class had. But Kilgo is probably one of the most heavily recruited guys in this class, and he certainly has a lot of potential. I spoke to one of his assistant coaches on Friday, and he said they received calls on Kilgo from Clemson, Miami and Michigan as soon as they found out he committed.

Matt, Thanks for this insight. If those three schools were interested, then that says a lot more about how Darius Kilgo is viewed, no question. Neither Rivals.com nor Scout.com included any of them as having interest in him, and those reports are what I based my comment on.

That his coaches were contacted about him by these schools after the fact is curious, isn't it? Why the interest when it's too late, unless they think they can pry him away from the Terps?

For all the criticism (warranted and unwarranted) about UM's recruiting, this shows that other schools--even major football powers--don't always have their act together. Small consolation, I know, but it does put things in perspective a bit.

I know a lot of people want to run Ralph Friedgen out of town for this terrible season (much of which isn't his fault, IMHO) and put someone else in there as head coach, but not James Franklin.

I have a few of thoughts on the subject and wanted to get your perspective:

1. I don't think Ralph's going anywhere unless he wants to retire, which I doubt he'd want to do because this isn't how he'd like his coaching career to end. As bad as the season was, I think in the mind of Debbie Yow he's earned a mulligan do to his body of work.

2. The decision to designate Franklin as his successor and include a $1M buyout is questionable because (especially with the economy) it locks the school to only one candidate for the job who is closely associated with Friedgen's reign. No flexibility to consider other options. This seems to have been a knee-jerk, feel-good decision on Yow's part, patterned after the Colts designating Jim Caldwell as Tony Dungy's successor well in advance. Then again, if that's the thinking, it hasn't turned out to badly for the Colts, has it?

3. The $1M buyout has pretty much forced the school's hand. Apart from how it works out, I question whether that's a prudent move. I understand that it's done to prempt other teams from trying to sign him, but there has to be almost 100% certainty that the Terps want him and no one else as the future head coach. It does say a great deal about how highly the athletic department regards James. Terp fans can only hope that when the time comes for him to step into Fridge's shoes, he'll be as good as advertised.

I am one of those who jumped on Ralph and the Terps for the Moore commit, and will be the first to admit it. I love that a recruit like Kligo is choosing between the Terps and other top BCS schools like Illinois, MSU, and Tennessee. But I still feel as if this should be par for the course, not cause for any special praise. While I certainly hold no delusions that we will start competing with the USC and Texas programs for the 5 stars, I still see no reason why the majority of our signees are not choosing Terps over other top BCS schools, instead of over Rhode Island and Towson.

With that being said, great job with this kid, keep up the good work!