Maryland kept its 2027 recruiting surge moving on Saturday, and the latest win came with some real weight. Edge rusher Dallas Pauldo chose the Terps over Arkansas and Missouri, giving Maryland its 21st commitment in the class and another long, athletic piece for the defensive front.
Pauldo fits right into what Maryland is building up front. He joins Zeke Walkup, the 6-foot-4, 250-pound edge rusher from Cannon County (TN), and Jayden Agberodiola, the 6-foot-3, 340-pound interior lineman from Rockvale (TN), giving the Terps another high-upside trio in the trenches. He also becomes part of Maryland’s growing Tennessee pipeline, linking up with Agberodiola, Walkup, and Shelvy Clark, the athletic linebacker from Germantown.
The Terps landed a defender with a strong early reputation. Pauldo is rated an 89 overall by 247Sports and sits as the No. 58 defensive lineman nationally in the 2027 class.
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, he brings the kind of length and frame Maryland wants on the edge, along with the athletic upside to develop into more than one type of front-line threat. He plays at Rockvale High School in Rockvale, Tennessee.
Maryland had to win this one in a real three-team fight. Pauldo had 11 total offers and took three visits, with the June 19 trip to College Park proving to be the key stop.
Arkansas got him on campus May 29 and made a strong push with a deeper defensive line board, while Missouri hosted him on June 5 and sold him on a smaller DL class with more immediate opportunity. Levorn Harbin was the recruiter leading Missouri’s effort.
The interest around Pauldo went beyond that final group, too. He also holds offers from defending national champion Indiana, Memphis, MTSU, and Mercer.
His production on both sides of the ball helps explain why so many programs wanted in. In 2025, he was a first-team all-area tight end in Murfreesboro and earned Region 3-6A Co-Tight End of the Year honors after catching 21 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, he added 33 tackles and four sacks.
That two-way background only adds to the appeal. Maryland sees a player with size, movement skills, and room to keep growing, the kind of prospect who can eventually fill multiple roles along the line. For now, he gives the Terps another edge defender with the burst and length to help create pressure, and a body type that already looks the part.
Pauldo’s commitment also strengthens the overall shape of Maryland’s 2027 defensive class. With size inside, length on the edge, and more Tennessee talent in the mix, the Terps keep stacking a front that looks built around versatility and upside. Beating out Arkansas and Missouri for Pauldo is another clean recruiting win for Maryland, and another sign the class keeps trending in the right direction.