Four-star guard Richard Merritt verbally committed to the Terrapins football team on Friday afternoon, according to multiple reports. Merritt’s commitment is the first to be announced under new coach DJ Durkin.
The offensive lineman announced his commitment via Twitter after receiving offers from more than 30 schools, including all four teams in this year’s College Football Playoff, according to 247sports.
Merritt, a 6-foot-5, 345-pound product from Archbishop Carroll, had played at Friendship Collegiate Academy under Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, the Terps’ new defensive backs coach. Durkin brought Abdul-Rahim to College Park earlier this month after he worked in Alabama as an assistant director of player personnel.
Merritt, the 18th player to verbally commit to the Terps for next season, is rated as the country’s 10th-best guard in the 2016 class, according to 247Sports. The site said he visited College Park on Dec. 11.
About three weeks before announcing his commitment, Merritt tweeted that he and offensive line teammate Jauan Williams were a “package deal.” Williams is ranked the No. 2-overall prospect in the Washington D.C. area, while Merritt is No. 3.
