Matthew Creger/The Diamondback

Terrapin football head coach Ralph Friedgen announced the team’s 2010 recruiting class yesterday, a group that includes 21 commits and is rated No. 37 in the nation by Rivals.com.

Despite a 2-10 record last season, the Terps were able to land a respectable class, which includes 10 players from this state or Washington.

Analysts also ranked the class near the middle of the pack in the ACC, despite the Terps’ last-place finish last fall.

“I think [last season’s record] had some effect, but I’m very pleased with what we were able to get out of this recruiting class,” Friedgen said. “I think it shows that people do have confidence in us. If you look at our track record, that’s the worst season I’ve ever had as an assistant coach or a head coach.”

Friedgen gave credit to his current players, who were optimistic during the recruits’ official visits. He said the players’ high hopes for the future were evident to recruits, leading them to view last season’s performance as an anomaly.

Toward the end of last season, Friedgen’s job appeared to be in jeopardy. After a series of meetings with Athletics Director Debbie Yow, the Athletics Department announced Friedgen would be retained.

Offensive coordinator James Franklin said he was able to overcome the difficulties last season’s uncertainities presented during recruiting because of his status as head-coach-in-waiting.

“That’s the whole reason why we have a head-coach-in-waiting, to kind of counter that,” Franklin said. “Whenever you get to the point, whether it’s coaching uncertainty, whether you’re getting a coach that’s older in years or maybe got a couple of years left on his contract, people are gonna use that against you. I don’t really look at the head-coach-in-waiting as an advantage, but it allows us to have an answer.

“I think that helped us a great deal, not only getting some guys but keeping some guys,” Franklin continued. “And I think it’s going to continue to help us in the future.”

Friedgen and the rest of the Terps’ coaching staff put an obvious effort into adding defensive talent, as the class includes 12 defensive players.

“One of the things that is signature about [the class] is I think we’ve upgraded our speed — we were looking for that — our athleticism and our pass rush,” Friedgen said. “You’ll see that there’s a lot of people that can put pressure on the quarterback.”

The Terps landed five defensive backs, four defensive lineman and three linebackers.

Defensive end/linebacker Javarie Johnson, who originally gave a verbal commitment to Miami, is already enrolled in classes. Johnson is the No. 1 ranked player coming out of Washington and could make an instant impact.

“That was big; there’s not doubt about that. That was huge,” defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Dave Sollazzo said. “He’s a great kid. On top of everything else that happened, he’s just a great individual. So that was a big sign.”

Other defensive players signed include defensive end Desmond Kearse, cousin of Tennessee Titans’ defensive end Jevon Kearse, and defensive back Jeremiah Johnson, who Friedgen said reminds him of former Terps’ and current Baltimore Ravens’ cornerback Domonique Foxworth. David Mackall, a strong side defensive end, is ranked as the No. 15 prospect at his position by Rivals.com.

This years’ recruiting class also features two quarterbacks, Devin Burns and Tyler Smith. After the departure of three-year starter Chris Turner, the Terps enter this season with many questions at the position, and Friedgen said the race for the starting job is wide open.

“We’re gonna have six quarterbacks here next year,” Friedgen said. “They’re not separated very much. … It’s gonna get real interesting because I think they’re all talented and I think they’re all great kids.”

Although the class features no five-star recruits, four are pinned as four-stars by Rivals.com, and four received All-America honors during their senior year of high school.

“Our coaches are the people who go out and find the kids and evaluate the kids,” Friedgen said. “It got better as it went along. When there was a delay whether we were gonna be here or not, I think that hurt us in the beginning, but I think once we got going it was just a matter of a lot of hard work by our staff.”

TERP NOTE: Friedgen also announced yesterday that Terrapin men’s lacrosse attackman Will Yeatman, who transferred from Notre Dame in part because of a pair of alcohol-related suspensions in 2008, would be playing with the team next fall. Yeatman won’t start working out with the football team until lacrosse season ends.

“He’s kind of like a recruit on campus,” Friedgen said. “He shows good athleticism, and he did start at Notre Dame as a tight end.”

engelke@umdbk.com