“It feels great, like a big weight off my chest,” Jefferson said. “… Coach Edsall came into my house last week. He just seemed like a good guy who wants the best out of his players and wants to push guys to the max to get the best out of them.”

Jefferson, the No. 25 senior prospect in Pennsylvania according to Rivals.com, picked the Terps over Cincinnati and Iowa. Woodland Hills coach George Novak said Michigan, Rutgers and Syracuse were also involved, while Pittsburgh and West Virginia “were pushing hard.”

At Woodland Hills – a perennial state championship contender under Novak – Jefferson drew praise from scouts for his size, athleticism and 4.6 speed. The future Terp starred for the Wolverines at tight end, and as a punishing pass rusher off the edge. Jefferson had 16 sacks as a senior.

Novak, who has coached six current NFL players, said he’ll always remember Jefferson “chasing quarterbacks down. He’s got a big upside to him, too. He’s got a lot of potential to get a lot bigger. He has long arms, is very athletic. I’d say he’s a lot like [New York Jets linebacker and former Woodland Hills star] Jason Taylor was – but he’s a lot bigger than Jason was. He just kind of reminds me of that type of kid.”

The Terps started recruiting Jefferson last spring, and when Novak took his Woodland Hills team to a passing camp in College Park in the summer, Jefferson was hooked on the program. Those positive feelings remained despite the coaching turnover. While Anderson searched for Friedgen’s replacement, Jefferson said assistant recruiting coordinator Ryan Steinberg and wide receivers coach Lee Hull stayed in touch – even though the job statuses of both football staffers was unknown at the time.

“They still called me every day, just keeping me updated and letting me know what was going on,” Jefferson said. “They were just telling me to wait it out before I made my decision. … It’s really big. I appreciated them just keeping me updated and checking in to make sure I was fine. They really did care a lot about me to do that for me.”

Jefferson said he’s staying focused on his high school academics now and working hard in the weight room. He hopes to see early action as a freshman for the program he long dreamed of joining.

“I kind of always knew [I'd pick Maryland]. It always lingered,” Jefferson said. “When I went on the official visit, it kind of confirmed it for me. They were the only players I really vibed with a lot. With the coaches, too, it just felt right. I just got that feeling. It was the right place for me.”