story from Dave Lomonico of terrapintimes.com
The Terps’ staff finally has its No. 1 quarterback. The last commitment in Maryland’s 2016 class came courtesy of their first priority: Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.) dual-threat Tyrrell Pigrome, a 5-foot-11, 205-pounder, who announced his pledge during an afternoon school ceremony Feb. 3.
The Terps’ staff finally has its No. 1 quarterback.
The (second to) last commitment in Maryland’s 2016 class came courtesy of their first priority: Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.) dual-threat Tyrrell Pigrome, a 5-foot-11, 205-pounder, who announced his pledge the morning of Feb. 3.
“Maryland was just the right place for me, where I felt most comfortable around the coaches and players. There was just something about the vibe at Maryland,” said Pigrome, who chose the Terps over Virginia Tech and Tulane. “I want to play quarterback, and Maryland is recruiting me as a quarterback. Coach [D.J.] Durkin said they need a guy like me to run the offense and said I could do my thing in [the Terps’ offense].”
Pigrome’s “thing” consists of anchoring an up-tempo, high-flying attack, complete with designed roll-outs; shots down the field and zone-read runs. The 2016 Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year has a swashbuckling mentality, a Favre-like risk taker with a Russell Wilson-like frame.
“I like to take chances on the field, and the Maryland coaches like my confidence; my athleticism; and how I’m a playmaker,” Pigrome said. “I run the exact same things at my high school that [offensive coordinator Walt] Coach Bell runs at Maryland, so I know I’d fit right in.
“Like, if they have a play called ‘I’ and it’s like a designed roll-out with [multiple] receivers to one side, we have the same sort of play with almost the same exact name. When I was sitting down with Coach Bell it’s like I already got [the Maryland] offense.”
Pigrome’s Maryland commitment comes four days after embarking on an official visit to College Park, Md., his first foray through the Old Line State. The Pinson native wasn’t quite used to the urban setting in College Park and around Washington, D.C., but said the area didn’t bother him at all.
“I liked it out there, for real for real,” said Pigrome, who tends to repeat words for emphasis. “D.C. was real nice. We went out there on the official and I loved it. Baltimore isn’t too far away either.”
More important than the school’s location was Pigrome’s immediate bond with the coaches and players. He said he had productive meetings with Bell and Durkin, while he interacted with almost every other staff member. Meanwhile, Pigrome’s player host, receiver D.J. Moore, showed him a good time.
“Basically the Maryland coaches all have a lot of energy and they have a plan to get the program rolling again,” Pigrome said. “They said they want guys like me there to help them get to the top. They want me to run their offense for them.
freddy from boca
well we hope pigrome is a number one qb but he has a way to go to get there despite not having a lot of competition.
first and foremost he’s never played college ball which is a big step up from high school ball. keep in mind other schools were like virginia tech were recruiting him as a slot back not a quarterback.
from all reports pigrome is very atheltic, has a good arm but he’s on the small side…under 6 feet tall.
hopefully he learns and adjusts quickly because the opportunity is there if he can step up. he qb position at md is wide open.
· 11/12/2019
Todd
I agree that it’s clearly a step up from HS to college but he did play in Alabama 6A and his school only lost the state championship by a field goal. So I’d be inclined to say he competed against high level opponents in high school. He was also the Gatorade Player of the Year so I’d have to say that his upside is pretty high.
· 11/12/2019
freddy from boca
he was one of two in the state of alabama. certainly high praise but he may have won the award based on his all around football abilities as opposed to qb skills alone.
let’s be real a 3 star qb is good and who knows how well he can do in college with good coaching but it’s hard to imagine he is being considered an elite qb prospect at this time.
bottom line he’s the best they could get and hopefully he is accurate because there seems to be a lot of short passes in bell’s offense
· 11/12/2019