4-Star S Markquese Bell Commits To Maryland Terrapins


Four-star safety Markquese Bell committed to Maryland on Sunday, giving the Terrapins 30 total commits in the 2017 recruiting class. 


After a 6-7 mark in his first season as head coach, D.J. Durkin is continuing to build his vision of the Terrapins with an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball.

On Sunday, 4-star prospect Markquese Bell committed to Maryland at the 2017 Under Armour All-America Game. He chose the Terrapins over Rutgers and Virginia Tech.

Maryland now has 30 total commits in the cycle, and, of those 30 commits, 14 of them are defensive recruits.

Durkin’s staff picked up 202 recruiting points with the addition of Bell, bringing its total to 3,003. The Terps remain at No. 12 in the 2017 recruiting class rankings, but they’re now only 14 points behind No. 11 Florida State and 75 points behind No. 10 Notre Dame.

At 6-foot-2, 201 lbs Bell has great ball skills and tracks it well through the air. In Durkin’s system, he could evolve as a ball-hawking safety. But he also brings an ability to make plays in the box and closer to the line of scrimmage, as Bell is a solid tackler.

Maryland has picked up a few key commitments in this class to help build its future secondary. In addition to Bell, the Terps also hold pledges from 3-star cornerbacks Kenny Bennett, Fofie Bazzie, Dazz Newsome and Alex Woods. Four-star cornerback Deon Jones is also committed to Durkin’s squad.

Maryland is also still in play for 4-star recruit Tariq Castro-Fields, the No. 27-ranked cornerback in the nation.

Note: Scout rankings, ratings and photos used in this article.

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