Terps get first 2016 commitment

On Wednesday, Maryland picked up their first commitment of the 2016 class. Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha running back Lorenzo Harrison chose the Terps over Virginia, Old Dominion and Hawaii.

"I always knew I wanted to stay near home," said the 5-foot-9, 195-pound Harrison. "I went to a lot of camps at schools nearby and I thought that this was a good time to commit to Maryland. The main thing was I wanted to stay close to my family. We're a really close family and I wanted them to be able to come see my play. Playing in front of my city was big for me. It's the best thing you could do as a college player."

Playing in front of his friends and family wasn't the only draw Maryland had going for them.

"They have a nice campus and their criminal justice department is really good," he said. "That's what I want to major in. It will be pretty cool knowing most of the guys that I'll be playing with in a few years."

Harrison is close with most of the top prospects in the Washington D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area and he plans on using those relationships to bring more talent to College Park.

"I want to try to get the 2016 players at DeMatha over there with me," said Harrison. "After that I'm going after all the top prospects in the area to make sure they stay home. I'll try my best to stay home with me."

It has been a long time since any player from DeMatha has chosen to continue their playing career just a few minutes up the road at Maryland. That has sparked rumors of a rift between the Terps and the talent-rich DeMatha program. Harrison is looking to change that.

"I thought about it a little and guess it is a little true," he said. "I don't think anybody from DeMatha has gone to Maryland in about five years. I thought it would be a great way to start the pipeline up again."

Last season Harrison helped DeMatha win a conference championship.