New Maryland football DL Sedrick Smith: “This was my first time ever in Maryland and I’m glad it’s not going to be my last”

Ahmed Ghafir
Apr 30
2 min read

Atlanta, Ga. native and Alabama A&M transfer DL Sedrick Smith went into his Maryland visit last weekend already keeping the Terps in mind as a realistic landing spot that became slightly more familiar after DL Edwin Moore, an Atlanta-area DL transfer, committed one day prior to Smith’s visit.

“It’s most definitely great just knowing I have someone I can talk and relate with. It’s awesome,” Smith told IBG.

But after going through the portal process and drawing interest from Georgia, Georgia Tech and Purdue among others, Smith knew he didn’t want to wait too long to decide on which Power Four school he’d suit up at.

“It was definitely stressful but I’m glad it’s over,” he noted.

Days after entering the transfer portal, Smith took a nearby visit to in-state Georgia with the Bulldogs viewed as the overwhelming early favorite in his recruitment. But after opting to stay open, that led Smith to College Park, where he knew he didn’t want to drag out his recruitment.

“To be honest, I was just seeing how everything was going, how the visit was going. As the visit went on, it just kept getting better and better and yeah, I made my decision,” Smith told IBG. “Talked to the head man and told him I wanted to come.”

“I loved the visit. The visit was awesome. The coach seemed genuine with everything. They told me what they want to do with me and how they’re going to develop me. That’s a big thing for me because my development plan is number one for me. The coaching staff – the [defensive] line coach’s experience, the NFL staff experience. They can teach me everything and he tells what he expects. I loved it. I loved talking to them one-on-one.”

Smith added he knew “a little bit” about Maryland prior to stepping foot on campus, but how he’d fit into the defense and what his role would be were two factors that caught his eye about Maryland as a spot.

“I just have to grind, keep my head down and show them I belong. We went over my film. He asked me some questions about some plays. He cares deeply. He wants to see my insight, my football IQ.”

Now, Smith looks to take a page from the Jordan Phillips’ playbook as he works to grasp and pick up the Terps’ scheme before he arrives for good. “The biggest thing is just trying to go over the playbook as fast as possible.”

Smith will head to College Park the first week of June with three years of eligibility left after playing in all but one game in 2024, totaling 20 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and a pair of sacks as a true freshman. Now looking to translate that production into bolstering a revamped defensive line in College Park, Smith is ready to get back to campus to work.

“This was my first time ever in Maryland and I’m glad it’s not going to be my last.”

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