Maryland football’s 2019 class got a lot better on Tuesday with former Florida State commit and DeMatha Catholic product Nick Cross signing as the latest member of coach Mike Locksley’s inaugural class.

The safety, from nearby Hyattsville, is currently ranked as the 55th best player in the county, according to 247Sports. He’s the fourth-best at his position, and the best recruit in Maryland.

Cross is also the highest-ranked recruit the program has secured since offensive lineman Damian Prince in 2014. Locksley, then in his first stint with Maryland, featured as Prince’s primary contact during his recruitment. With Cross’ addition, the Terps have signed the top-ranked offensive and defensive players from the state — wide receiver Isaiah Hazel flipped from West Virginia to College Park in December.

Cross’ road to College Park is an interesting one, as he committed to Florida State in September 2018, but didn’t sign on National Signing Day on February 6. After a visit to Penn State, Cross opted to remain local.

Elijah Brooks, Cross’ former coach at DeMatha, joined Locksley’s staff as running backs coach in December, perhaps adding another factor for DeMatha products to consider when choosing schools.

Maryland now has the 46th best recruiting class in the nation, per 247sports, although the Terps are ranked No. 11 in the Big Ten, ahead of Northwestern, Illinois and Rutgers.

The improvement — with three four-star recruits headlining the class — is significant since Locksley’s hiring. Locksley had inherited an eight-man class in December ranked No. 87 in the country. Now, the Terps have 18 signings.

Cross’s commitment may immediately help fill a void left by the departures of defensive backs RaVon Davis and Darnell Savage Jr.

CORRECTION: Due to a reporting error, a previous version of this article described defensive back Antoine Brooks as a graduating senior. Brooks will be in his senior season in 2019. This article has been updated.