1. On track for the best recruiting class in program history

On Wednesday, the Maryland football team’s 2017 class will sign their letters of intent. Coach DJ Durkin’s first full recruiting class is ranked No. 17 by 247sports.com and No. 13 by Rivals.com, marks that would set new program bests on the sites.

The last Terps recruiting class receiving this much praise was the 2005 class, which included several future NFL players, among them, offensive tackle Jared Gaither and wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. That year Rivals rated their class No. 16 and 247sports.com ranked them at the No. 26 class in the nation.

Since 2003, the Terps have averaged a team ranking of 36.3 from 247sports.com and 35.4 from Rivals. This year, the Terps have essentially locked up a top-25 recruiting class even after a 6-7 season.

The Terps’ ability to capitalize on the “DMV-to-UMD” movement has been pivotal, boasting seven of their top eight prospects from the region. Many expected Durkin’s hire to help energize recruiting in College Park, but the success he and his staff have had in their first year has been historic.

2. Potential new commits Wednesday

There are still a handful of Terps targets on the market. Four-star cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields is most notable. Maryland is vying with powerhouse programs Penn State and Alabama for the Upper Marlboro native.

Castro-Fields was named first-team All-Met by The Washington Post this fall and is the No. 8 player in Maryland, according to 247sports.com.

The Terps also have a shot at three-star safety Naytron Culpepper. Culpepper, an Opa Locka, Florida, native, is the No. 33 safety in the nation.

247sports.com Crystal Ball projects Culpepper to commit to South Florida, but the site also sees the Terps’ stock rising, assigning them a 13 percent chance. While the Terps have four cornerbacks in the 2017 class, Culpepper would be the lone safety.

Three-star outside linebacker Malik Horton may also be headed to College Park. The No. 80 outside linebacker in the nation is debating between Maryland and Colorado. The Terps already have two outside linebackers in the 2017 class.

3. DMV-to-UMD movement gaining momentum

If there was any doubt about the new regime’s ability to recruit locally, four-star Anthony McFarland Jr.’s commitment Jan. 27 flipped that. With the Hyattsville native’s commitment, the Terps have 17 verbal commitments from Maryland, Virginia or Washington natives.

Of the Terps eight four-star prospects, only Markquese Bell isn’t from one of the three areas.

The most athletes from the DMV former Terps coach Randy Edsall signed in one recruiting class was 14 in 2012 and 2013.

Within the DMV-to-UMD movement, there are two pairs of elite teammates. McFarland is joined by four-star offensive lineman Marcus Minor after playing on the DeMatha Catholic High School offense together. Also, four-star quarterback Kasim Hill and defensive tackle Cam Spence plan to come to College Park in the fall after spending last season together at St. John’s College High School.

For a program located in a recruiting hotbed in need of an energy boost, local athletes’ excitement over Durkin and his staff likely bodes well for the future of the program.