Terps get Ricker

Harrisburg (Pa.) Bishop McDevitt quarterback Jeremy Ricker could be the answer to a trivia question already. Who was the first big-time quarterback to commit to Ralph Friedgen during his head coaching tenure at Maryland? After his live commitment Wednesday on ESPNEWS to Friedgen and the Terps, Ricker is the answer -- and the Terps couldn't be happier.

"I chose Maryland for a few different reasons," Ricker, a 6-foot-2, 201-pounder, said before his live national press conference. "I wanted to get out of the state of Pennsylvania, but not too far. I like the coaches at Maryland and I think there's a great opportunity for me there. Coach Friedgen has a great reputation with quarterbacks and offensive players, so that was attractive as well."

Ricker chose the Terps over Oregon, but it was a tough decision.

"Oregon did a great job recruiting me and I like the coaches a lot," he said. "When I went out there I didn't know what to expect, but I was blown away. They really made me feel important and their facilities are great. They also offered a nice quarterback situation, but Maryland felt like home in the end."

Ricker had offers from schools like Oklahoma, North Carolina, NC State, Michigan State and others. His connection to Maryland is obvious.

"My quarterback coach is Dick Shiner who played at Maryland and also coached there," he said. "He wanted what was best for me but it was good to hear about his experiences there as a player and a coach. It made me feel more comfortable."

Ricker doesn't know if he'll redshirt or see playing time as a true freshman.

"I plan on going and competing as hard as I can and see what happens," he said. "The playbook looked pretty big when I saw it so there's a lot to learn, but I'll work hard. If I redshirt, that's great. If I play, that's cool too."

Ricker will now focus on recruiting players to Maryland. However, don't look to his teammates.

"Everyone on my team needs to do what is best for them," he said. "Shady LeSean McCoy, there's about a 99-percent chance he won't end up at Maryland and I would never push him. Same with Jason Kates. Aaron Berry and Tucker Baumbach have expressed interest in Maryland, so I'll answer whatever questions they have, but we don't push each other to places."

Ricker has thrown 37 touchdown passes against only 14 interceptions over the last two seasons. He is ranked as the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the country and the No. 92 player overall.