Terps pick up a lineman
Maryland picked up their 13th commitment from the Class of 2011 on Thursday when one of Pennsylvania's top offensive linemen made his college decision.
Andrew Zeller, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive tackle from Red Lion, Pennsylvania, chose Maryland on Thursday, turning down offers from Duke, Oregon and Rutgers, as well as heavy interest from a couple of SEC schools.
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Maryland had been recruiting Zeller for a long time prior to Thursday, and that attention -- as well as the relationships built by the Terps' coaching staff -- helped make the lineman's decision easier than it otherwise might have been.
Zeller said he made up his mind earlier this week but waited until today to let the coaches know of the news.
"I made the commitment today while I was visiting," Zeller said. "I was on campus from about two o'clock until about five. I just got back home.
"Coach (Ralph) Friedgen was on vacation so I called him when I was with coach (Kevin) Lempa. I called coach Friedgen and coach (James) Franklin and told them.
"I believe the coaches are fantastic and they field a competitive team. I feel like it's the perfect place for me to develop into a student-athlete."
Zeller said he believes his verbal commitment to Maryland is solid and he doesn't believe he will take a hard look at the other schools that have been recruiting him to date.
The Red Lion prospect has run the 40-yard dash in 5.1 seconds and is ranked the No. 22 prospect in the state of Maryland by Rivals.com.