Terps Working on South Carolina Linebacker

Before last month’s 71st annual Shrine Bowl, Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School’s Sterling Lucas was merely a blip on the Division 1-A radar. Despite a strong senior season including 161 tackles and five sacks, All-Region and 2nd-team All-State honors, the South Carolina linebacker held no offers.

Something didn’t add up. Lucas’ 6-foot-2, 220 pound frame and speed—4.7 speed in the 40-yard dash—alone should have garnered at least a few lower-level offers. However, Lucas earned his first offer from Michigan State only days before earning South Carolina Defensive MVP honors in the Shrine Bowl.
vHis breakout performance did not go unnoticed. Shortly after his accolades, Lucas added offers from North Carolina State, North Carolina and Maryland. “I think Wake Forest is going to make an offer, and South Carolina has been talking to me,” he said.

Lucas credits his lack of high-major attention to not camping at many schools. “I didn’t get a chance to see that many [schools]. I guess they want to see me up close.”

Despite few scholarships remaining for the 2008 recruiting class, Maryland assistant Al Seamonson was in touch with Lucas before the Shrine Bowl. “After the Shrine Bowl, they wanted to see how I did and wanted to see me in practices. I know [Terp commit Justin Lewis], he was in the Shrine Bowl. I didn’t talk with him, but I’m going to talk to him [about Maryland],” Lucas said.

Shrine Bowl participants performed in a combine before the big game. Lucas bench pressed 185 pounds 18 times and ran 40 times of 4.78 and 4.87. His camp-wide success showed coaches why Lucas was the 12th-best player in South Carolina according to Scout.com’s Top 30 in the state.

“I went in wanting to go and prove a point. I wanted to get seen and turn some heads. I feel like I did that,” Lucas said of his performance.
vThe South Carolina linebacker compares his style of game and intensity to Baltimore Ravens All-Pro Ray Lewis. “I love him. I love his attention, how he plays the game. I love playing the game; I just go and try to play with a lot of intensity.”

Though Maryland is fairly new to Lucas’ recruiting scene, he is not leaning one way or another. He said the biggest deciding factors are “analyzing the situation as far as depth charts and playing time. Also how I feel, where I feel the most comfortable.”

Maryland may offer a comfortable setting for Lucas. The Terps have three Palmetto State players on their roster this year: junior defensive lineman Mack Frost and freshmen Stephen St. John and Ronnie Tyler
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Lucas plans on making his decision sometime in February after taking all of his official visits. He’s already got visits planned to North Carolina State, North Carolina and Michigan State and is working out a date to come up to College Park.