Wesley Jefferson grew up just 20 minutes from the University of Maryland campus. Still, he was a fan of the Longhorns and Nittany Lions. (Truth is, Jefferson says he was more a fan of Ricky Williams and Lavar Arrington.) Jefferson, a budding linebacking prospect from Brandywine, Md., never really gave the Terps that much thought. But that all changed a few years ago when Ralph Friedgen took over. In The Fridge's two seasons in College Park, Maryland's gone 21-5 and 13-3 in the ACC. Just as eye-opening, a Terp -- E.J. Henderson -- even won the Butkus Award. Now Jefferson says he couldn't think of a better place to play college ball.

Friedgen couldn't be happier since the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Jefferson has blossomed into the nation's top middle linebacker recruit. He picked the Terps over Miami and Ohio State. Jefferson headlines what some experts are calling the best crop of talent ever in the state of Maryland -- and it couldn't come at a better time for Friedgen since this UM has become "a hot school." Jefferson is expected to be joined by Baltimore's Victor Abiamiri, the country's top pass rusher as well as fellow Gilman School star Ambrose Wooden, a corner who runs a 4.3. One other local product to keep an eye out for is Baltimore's Keon Lattimore. A 6-foot, 205-pounder from Baltimore's Mount St. Joseph's high school, Lattimore probably will play wideout in college. He is also the kid brother of NFL superstar Ray Lewis.

"Keon doesn't have a defensive temperament like his brother," says St. Joe's coach Mike Working, a former college and NFL assistant. "What he does have though is really great hand-eye coordination and he can go from standing still to full speed in about two steps."

Credit Terp assistants Rod Sharpless and James Franklin for landing Lattimore with a huge assist, of course, to the Fridge.

The Terps appear to have won another key battle out of state for Pottstown, Pa. offensive lineman Brandon Nixon, a 6-7, 325-pounder, who picked UM over Penn State, a school that traditionally has beaten Maryland for top players in and out of the Beltway area.

"It's because of him," Jefferson says, "and the way he does everything that has us believing."

Says Working, "They have done a wonderful job of making people believe that Maryland football is important."

Red Hot
It's hard to imagine a rookie coach taking over and doing any better than new Louisville coach Bobby Petrino has done. Petrino and his staff have been winning battles from the Florida Panhandle to Southern California. "We've been going full speed ahead to say the least," says U of L recruiting coordinator Greg Nord, a holdover from the John L. Smith staff. "Bob has really hit the ground running."

Petrino has made a huge haul in talent-rich Tallahassee, an area he used to recruit when he coached at Auburn and apparently made a good impression in FSU country. He got seven commitments from Tallahassee kids, including five from perennial state power Lincoln High. He says he probably made 75 calls a night his first couple of days on the job."It's really been a sprint," he says.

U of L's biggest catch to this point appears to be Venice, Calif. wide receiver B.J. Vickers, a smooth 6-3, 215-pounder, who picked the Cards over Tennessee and Oregon. But that could change this weekend when all-everything recruit Mike Bush visits.

The 6-4, 225-pounder from Louisville's Male HS has been labelled by many recruiting services an athlete, but wants to play quarterback. His coach at Male, Bob Redman, who is the father of Ravens QB Chris Redman, says the kid has the potential to be an NFL QB someday. Petrino, a guy with a strong rep for grooming QBs, all styles of QBs, wants Bush as a quarterback. It also doesn't hurt that Bush's parents are big Cardinal fans. His presence could make a top 20 class a top-five class.

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