Maryland defensive tackle commitment Cody Blue was a marked man all season long.

Word traveled fast throughout the Howard County high school football scene when Blue, a 6-foot-5, 275-pounder at Wilde Lake, committed to the Terps last May.

So when Blue suited up for the Wildecats this fall, high school football observers might have expected to see a dominating force, something that was neither fair or realistic according to Wilde Lake head coach Doug DuVall.

“It’s always hard because [fans] don’t quite realize that often times big linemen signed to Division I schools are signed for their ability growth-wise, strength-wise,” DuVall said. “So you might find better high school players, but because they’re 5’10 and 195, [they might not play DI]. But they may be a better player at this point.

“[People will think], ‘a kid that big, he just ought to take the whole game over by himself.’ Well he takes his section over, but linemen just don’t [take games over]. ... The really good high school linemen [colleges are] looking for, it’s almost like in race horses. [They’re] looking for the pedigree, the build. That’s what they’re looking for in a lineman. Kids that are going to be big, carry 300 pounds and can run.”

In DuVall’s opinion, that description fits Blue perfectly. He’s got the size with the room to add some weight, and he ran a 4.9 40-yard dash at Maryland’s summer football camp.

But all the potential/productivity discussion is not to say that Blue had a down year -- quite the contrary. A co-captain, Blue recorded 38 tackles and 4 sacks on the season, helping Wilde Lake to a 10-3 season and a 3A semifinal appearance.

And perhaps most importantly, Blue got better with each game.

“Against North Harford in our quarterfinal he really had a great game,” DuVall said. “He sacked the quarterback and shut the option down. As the season went on he got better and better. In all the playoff games he played really well.”

DuVall likens Blue’s potential to another former Wilde Lake standout, current Terps offensive lineman Dane Randolph. While they play on different sides of the ball, Blue possesses the same size and strength as Randolph, in addition to having slightly better speed.

Blue, a Maryland fan since middle school, has really been working since that time toward becoming a Terp. Add that desire to his measureables and consistent improvement, and DuVall thinks Maryland is getting a great prospect.

“I think he’ll be fine,” DuVall said. “He’s one of those kids that by the time he’s a senior, he could be an all-ACC player because he’s big and he can run and he’s athletic. ... He’s got great lateral speed, playing up and down the line of scrimmage. He can get to that corner in a hurry and that’s important at the collegiate level because the game's so wide open. That’s a big plus that he can run sideways. ... Cody’s going to be a good player.”