Maryland’s Herrick Solid Option for Revs

After strengthening their defense with the additions of Ryan Cochrane and Didier Domi so far this off-season, the Revolution will likely turn to Thursday’s SuperDraft to bolster its offense.  With five total picks at their disposal, the Revolution may need to look no further than University of Maryland forward Jason Herrick.

Julian Cardillo thinks Jason Herrick (white team) could be a good option for the Revs up top. (Photo courtesy MLSSoccer.com)

Herrick, who earned First Team All-ACC honors in 2009 and 2010, quickly built his reputation as a goal scorer in his four years at Maryland.  In his freshman year, Herrick tallied five goals and three assists, good enough for an All-ACC Freshman Team nod, and appeared primed for a standout sophomore season.

But after obtaining a medical redshirt in 2007, he was slow to rebound in 2008, with only four goals and four assists on the striker’s stat sheet. Determined to prove that ’08 was a fluke, Herrick rebounded nicely in ’09 and went on to score nine goals his junior year and 11 goals his senior year.

Although 11 goals might not be a prodigious amount for a goal scorer, Herrick has nonetheless proven his ability to accumulate goals in the talent-laden ACC, which is no small feat.

On Monday, Herrick displayed his knack for the back of the net before a host of MLS coaches and talent evaluators, scoring a goal for the Adipure side in a 2-0 victory over Jabulani at the MLS Combine.  Despite his appearance on the score sheet, Herrick may yet fly under the radar of many MLS coaches. He is projected as a mid-draft selection, with published projections placing his selection somewhere between the later stages of the first round to as late as the middle part of the second round.

Those lukewarm endorsements may just work themselves out in the Revolution’s favor. Should the Maryland Terrapin find himself without a club come the 24th selection, the Revs would be hard pressed not to take the underrated forward.  If the Revolution choose Herrick to sport the Revolution scarf, they will find themselves with a capable forward who has established himself well within the current crop of collegiate talent available for the taking on Thursday.

All other things aside, Herrick’s bio bears a strikingly familiar resemblance to another striker Revs fans may be familiar with: Taylor Twellman.  Both players played at the University of Maryland and established their striker’s credentials there. Both have remarkably similar builds (Herrick’s listed at 5-11, 165 lbs, while Twellman’s bio places him at 5-11, 175 lbs), and the scouting report on Herrick is uncanny: decent speed, good timing, quick to pull the trigger, and excels when he gets space inside the area.

Twellman and Herrick are obviously different people, but on paper, the similarities can’t hurt the 23-year-old’s chances come Thursday afternoon.

With Twellman’s retirement leaving the Revolution without a standout striker on the roster for the first time in a decade, Herrick may be just what the Revs need to start another multi-season playoff streak.

New England Soccer Today is your home for coverage of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. Starting at 11:45AM on Thursday, we’ll be hosting a live blog from Baltimore covering the draft and welcoming comments and questions throughout. We’ll also have post draft coverage of the Revolution’s picks and where the local New England players end up. If that’s not enough, come back Friday for an hour-long Revolution Recap podcast covering the draft and featuring pre-recorded commentary from players and coaches at the draft.