By Zach Brook
The Baltimore Watchdog
When Maryland’s two largest public universities face off Saturday in College Park, more than four in 10 players on the sidelines and in the game will be representing their home state. Eighty-five Towson and Maryland football players are from the state of Maryland — a sign that both schools are tapping into local talent to fill up their rosters.
Nearly half of Maryland’s team (50 players in total and 45%) are from in-state — more than at Towson (35 total and 37%).
An analysis of the two teams’ geographic makeup — illustrated above in an interactive map — revealed a number of other interesting findings:
- Nearly four times as many players on Towson and Maryland grew up in the state of Maryland than in any other state (No. 2 being Virginia with 23 players).
- Pennsylvania (17), Florida (14) and New Jersey (9) are the next-most-popular home states of Tigers and Terps players.
- Both teams draw heavily from the Northeast, and Towson’s recruiting is particularly strong in New Jersey and New York (10 players total). Maryland, not surprisingly, draws heavily from Washington, D.C. and Virginia.
- Seven players total are from D.C., and six are from Baltimore.
- All three players on the rosters from the city of Towson play at Maryland.
- Just four players from the football-rich state of Texas are on the rosters — split evenly between the two teams.
- The West Coast and Midwest are barely represented on the squads. Only three players, for instance, are from California.
- Four players total are international: one from Australia, Belgium, Canada and Norway.
Maryland’s starting depth chart includes 11 starters from outside the state:
| Brendan Moore | C | Austin | TX |
| Kasim Hill | QB | Washington | DC |
| Qwuantrezz Knight | SS | Quincy | FL |
| Chandler Burkett | DL | Panama City | FL |
| Kingsley Opara | DL | Jacksonville | FL |
| JC Jackson | DB | Immokalee | FL |
| Matt Oliveira | LS | Watchung | NJ |
| Sean Christie | OL | Medford | NY |
| DJ Moore | WR | Philadelphia | PA |
| Darnell Savage Jr. | FS | Newark | DE |
| Jalen Brooks | LB | Suwannee | GA. |
While Towson’s first string has 16:
| Lyrics Klugh | DB | Lyman | SC |
| Monty Fenner | DB | Chesapeake | VA |
| Mitch Boals | DB | WI | WI |
| Clifton Jones | DL | Virginia Beach | VA |
| Zain Harps Upshur | DL | Norfolk | VA |
| Aidan O’Neill | K | New Paltz | NY |
| Malik Tyne | LB | Ontario | Canada |
| Robert Heyward | LB | Savannah | GA |
| Will Hayes | LS | Winston-Salem | NC |
| Nico Russolillo | OL | Frisco | TX |
| Matt Kauffman | OL | York | PA |
| Zane Ventimiglia | OL | Red Bluff | CA |
| Nick Carnesale | OL | Hammonton | NJ |
| Pat Toomey | P | Brick | NJ |
| Ryan Stover | QB | Oreland | PA |
| Shane Simpson | RB | Easton | PA |
A few non-geographic facts:
- Maryland has had 222 players drafted compared to Towson’s six, according to Pro Football Reference.
- Maryland coach D.J. Durkin makes $2.4 million per year in base salary, compared to Towson coach Rob Ambrose’s $334,000, according to state records. Maryland’s coordinators each make more than Ambrose.