Rockvale DE Dallas Pauldo commits to Maryland football

Rockvale three-star defensive end Dallas Pauldo committed to Maryland on July 11 during a ceremony in the high school auditorium in front of his family, teammates and high school coaches.

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Pauldo is ranked by 247Sports Composite as the No. 18 player in Tennessee and No. 52 defensive lineman nationally in the 2027 class. He chose Maryland over Arkansas and Missouri.

"It was really more than just football," Pauldo said. "I could build more of a base than football there. I could do more than football. I liked that."

He received several SEC offers in the offseason, including Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Vanderbilt.

He also has offers from defending national champion Indiana, Memphis, MTSU and Mercer.

Maryland finished 4-8 in 2025. The Terrapins were 1-8 in the Big Ten.

"They are trying to turn it around, and I want to be a part of that," Pauldo said.

Pauldo was a Murfreesboro area first-team all-area tight end in 2025. The Region 3-6A Co-Tight End of the Year had 21 receptions for 209 yards and two touchdowns while adding 33 tackles and four sacks as a defensive end.

Pauldo said he planned to graduate from Rockvale in December, allowing him to enroll in January.

"They said if I come ready to go, I'm going to play," Pauldo said.

Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at cjoyce@dnj.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Rockvale DE Dallas Pauldo commits to Maryland football