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DeMatha High School graduate Kenny Tate was one of the top wide receiver recruits in the country during his senior season in 2007 – a four-star recruit and the 16th-best receiver in the country according to Rivals.com.

But you won't find Tate making an impact on offense this season. Instead he will be terrorizing opposing offenses from the strong safety position for the University of Maryland.

Tate saw limited time at safety as a freshman last season, finishing with 15 tackles. He also had an interception in the Terrapins' Humanitarian Bowl victory against Nevada.

This fall, the Forestville native is looking to make a bigger impact with the Terps.

"I just spent the offseason working with the other defensive backs and working on my footwork," Tate said. "I spent time before my freshman season doing some work as a receiver. Now I am just focused on being a defensive back."

Tate made the move from wide receiver to safety before the start of his freshman season. The sophomore is now second on the depth chart at strong safety behind senior Jamari McCollough.

Whether he makes the first start of his career this season or not, Tate said he is just looking to help the team the best way he can.

"Everyone is going to get the chance to step up and do their part," he said. "We have made a lot of changes on defense and I think it's going to be a good thing."

The biggest change for the Terps on defense is the presence of new defensive coordinator Don Brown, the head coach at the University of Massachusetts from 2004-08. Brown said the players have bought into the new scheme and have worked hard in the offseason to learn the system.

"I am really happy with the energy and attitude of the guys," he said. "We have gotten in a lot of things since the spring and we are trying to see if these guys can handle some more. The whole premise of the defense is to get a lot of guys in and making plays."

Tate said he likes the attitude and aggressiveness Brown brings with his new defensive scheme.

"I think we are going to be setting the tempo in games," Tate said. "Coach Brown is a high-energy guy and I think we feed off of that. It's a pretty easy defense to learn and it's going to be a lot more aggressive."

Although Tate has been spending a lot of time learning the new defense, he also returns to DeMatha to speak with current players. He said he's talked to the current group of Stags about the hard work it takes to make it to the next level. He also tells them that the University of Maryland can be that next level.

"I don't think a lot of the players around here think about playing at Maryland," Tate said. "I love it here and it's close to home. I don't regret my decision at all."

E-mail Joshua Hudson at

jhudson@gazette.net.