COLLEGE PARK -- For the third straight year, Mark Duffner stood at a podium and talked about the quality and quantity of one of the nation's largest recruiting classes.
Next year, he would like to restrict the discussion to quality.
The rebuilding of Maryland football has come in fits and starts, and a high attrition rate since Duffner took over in 1992 led the Terps to bring in 25 scholarship players each of the past two years.
This year's group could grow beyond the 23 players who signed letters of intent Wednesday. Maryland expects to give two more scholarships to reach 25, the maximum allowed annually by the NCAA. Ideally, Division I-A teams spread their 85 scholarships evenly over five classes.
"It would be nice to focus on 16 or 17 kids every year instead of 25," Duffner said.
"That's the pattern you want to get into. We've got 13 seniors now, and hopefully we won't be recruiting many more people than that next year."
The sheer numbers are one reason this year's recruiting class is ranked among the top third in the nation. Tom Lemmings, one of the national talent experts, said the linebacker group is one of the three or four best in the nation, and it numbers six in all, including the top prospects at that position from New York and Virginia.
Besides the six linebackers, Maryland signed five defensive linemen and four defensive backs. The incoming recruits will give the Terps 48 defensive and 33 offensive players on scholarship, a response to the yardage and points they've allowed the past three years.
"We've established our priorities," Duffner said. "Every year, if the scale is going to lean one way, it's going to be toward defense."
The Terps hope they have the talent and depth to avoid a repeat of the past two years -- in 1993 and 1994, three true freshmen played on the defensive line -- but tackles Derrick Bunting and Jamie Wu, and linebackers Eric Barton, Jomo Huggins and Peter Timmins might be ready to play next fall.
Three of the new recruits are enrolled at Maryland, and they'll give the Terps 61 scholarship players for spring practice. The focus then will be on toughening the 14 linemen and eight linebackers returning on defense, and keeping clear of the quarterbacks.
Senior Scott Milanovich and sophomore Brian Cummings will be the only scholarship quarterbacks in spring practice. Floridian Ken Mastrole is among the 18 incoming freshmen.
Maryland needs another punter, and is in the running for Perry Hall's Jason Bloom, who holds several state kicking records. Maryland sought the McDonogh pass-catching combination of Bobby Sabelhaus (Florida) and Dwayne Stukes (Virginia), and if they don't get Bloom, they'll be shut out in the Baltimore area.
The Terps did get two players from DeMatha, annually the state's top producer of talent, and there were several other package deals.
Mastrole and wide receiver Harold Westley, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his 1994 opener, teamed at Cardinal Gibbons High in Fort Lauderdale. Several schools backed off Westley, but he is back running track and clocked a 10.38 in the 100 meters last spring.
Bunting and Davidson, both from the Pittsburgh area, visited Maryland on the same weekend last fall. Defensive end Anthony Jenkins and wide receiver Jason Word were teammates at Butler County (Kan.) Community College.
NOTES: Joe O'Donnell, who transferred in from Tennessee-Martin last summer and did all of the Terps' kicking last season, has been given a scholarship. . . . Pete Sorrentino, who had a severe knee injury as a redshirt freshman early last season, has applied for a medical hardship from the NCAA, and could save a year of eligibility. . . . Milanovich is bugging the Terps' defensive coaches to return Pat Ward to the offensive line. Ward was switched to defense last year, a move necessitated by the academic ineligibility of Johnnie Hicks, Tim Watson and Jason Brown. All three will participate in spring practice.