Outlook of Terps 2015 Recruiting Board (Football)
Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locksley signed a three-year extension on Tuesday. (Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall/U.S. Presswire)
*Note: This is a list of realistic Terps targets; there are a number of prospects that have UMD offers but aren’t considering Maryland. There are other prospects that have serious interest in UMD but are unlikely to receive offers. List of prospects is subject to change, and does not include junior college offers. ‘Other Offers’ does not include every school offer for each recruit, only those being heavily considered (and four is the max).
Quarterbacks
Name School/State HT WT Other Offers
Kai Locksley Gilman (Baltimore, MD) 6’4” 180 Bama, Aub, FSU
Nick Johns Gonzaga (Wash DC) 6’3” 210 UVA, NCS
Cinjun Erskine Barnegat (Barnegat, NJ) 6’2” 200 MIA, RU
2014 commit Will Ulmer will begin his college career as a quarterback, but even if he sticks, Maryland will likely take two quarterbacks in 2015. CJ Brown is a senior, Ulmer could move to slot receiver, and there could be some attrition depending on how spring ball shakes out.
The two top dogs Edsall will be after are Gilman (MD) signal caller Kai Locksley and Gonzaga sling-man Nick Johns. Both have Maryland high on their list, but Johns is more likely to be a Terp than Locksley.
Fans may think having Kai’s father (current OC Mike Locksley) on staff means Maryland is the team to beat, but that is not the case. On the contrary, it could make things more complicated for Edsall and his staff. Not every little tike grows up wishing to play for his dad, and that kind of pressure/relationship strain might push Kai to look elsewhere. To make matters more difficult, every major program is pushing to get his signature. Florida State and Auburn look strong early on, but the Terps will be there in the end. Father or no father, Kai does like the idea of representing his home state and being big man on campus.
Other names like Cinjun Erskine (NJ), Joey Burrow (OH), Zach Gentry (NM), Jared Harris (DC), and a few Midwest/West Coast prospects are being monitored, but the staff’s effort is being focused on Locksley and Johns. Johns is starting to get looks from some Big Ten schools, so he’s not a given either.
Running Backs
Name School/State HT WT Other Offers
Deltron Sands St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) 5’8” 180 WVU, SYR
AJ Turner Centreville (Clifton, VA) 5’10” 180 PSU, UNC, VT
Kesean Strong Potomac (Oxon Hill, MD) 5’10” 185 ODU, Tol
DeShawn McClease Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) 5’10” 180 UNC, VT, UVA
Chapelle Cook Lakewood (Lakewood, NJ) 6’1” 205 Temple
With the return of Wes Brown, Maryland will probably take one running back in 2015. After losing out on Jonathan Thomas in 2014, it is imperative that the Terps land a coveted back this year. McDevitt (PA) back Andre Robinson was to be said guy, but he’s off the board (PSU). All signs now point to Florida back Deltron Sands, who indicated via social media that he plans on committing to Maryland when he visits sometime in the spring. If Maryland gets a verbal from Sands, they’ll cool on a few prospects that were listed.
Guys like AJ Turner and DeShawn McClease have Maryland offers, and if the Terps make a strong push they could land one of them, McClease being more likely than Turner. Other prospects such as Kesean Strong and Chapeele Cook do not hold Maryland offers, but keep an eye on local product Strong. An offer might come sooner rather than later as his recruitment will surely take off; he’s one of my favorite local products in 2015
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Name School/State HT WT Other Offers
Jabari Greenwood Gonzaga (Wash DC) 6’4” 190 PSU, MSU, VT
J.F. Thomas South Oak Cliff (Dallas, TX) 6’3” 175 CSU, SMU
Scottie Washington St. John’s (Wash DC) 6’3” 190
Trevor Brown Wise (Upper Marlboro, MD) 6’5” 260 ODU
There are more receiver prospects out there that the Terps are monitoring, but the truth is wide receiver isn’t a huge need in 2015. If they do decide to take one, their efforts will be focused on DC product Jabari Greenwood. Greenwood is very high on Maryland, but he’s not what you would call a lock. Michigan State will be tough, as will Virginia; but right now Terps lead for Greenwood’s services.
New receiver’s coach Keenan McCardell has put in a lot of work in the state of Texas in the short time he’s been here. With McCardell’s presence, Maryland has offered numerous prospects in the Lone Star State, including receiver target JF Thomas. Thomas is under the radar at the moment, but he certainly has the measurables to garner D1 interest. McCardell, along with Edsall, will keep tabs on him.
With coveted TE Chris Clarke off to UNC (bit of a surprise), the tight end position is kind of up in the air. Edsall wants to bring one in, but there aren’t many that are listing Maryland. That’s where local boys Scottie Washington and Trevor Brown come in. Both are under the radar prospects, and Washington is currently playing receiver for the Cadets (but lack of speed will push him to TE, so he has to bulk up). Brown is an intriguing guy; he has the size and strength, but is inexperienced with the position (he plays DL for Wise right now). If either one gets a Maryland offer, the Terps would likely have another commitment.
Offensive Linemen
Name School/State HT WT Other Offers
EJ Donahue Linganore (Frederick, MD) 6’5” 310 TERPS
Isaiah Prince ERHS (Greenbelt, MD) 6’6” 290 UF, Aub, UT
Quarvez Boulware FCA (Wash DC) 6’4” 275 Aub, FSU, PSU
Ritchie Petitbon Gonzaga (Wash DC) 6’4” 300 Bama, LSU, FSU
David Robbins Glenelg (Glenelg, MD) 6’4” 295 PSU, Stan, Neb
Ellis McKennie McDonogh (Owings Mills, MD) 6’3” 290
Tommy Hatton St. Joseph (Montvale, NJ) 6’3” 285 RU, L’VILLE, GT
Blake Camper Cox (Virginia Beach, VA) 6’7” 280 UVA, RUT
Mbi Tanyi George Bush (Richmond, TX) 6’3” 250 LTech
The bad news: the Terps got a good one in EJ Donahue, but he tore his acl playing lacrosse, so he should be shelved for the majority of his senior season (might be a good thing, tons of top programs were banging his door down). Top prospects like Patrick Allen (MD) and Matthew Burrell (VA) aren’t coming to College Park, hence why they’re not listed. DC boy Ritchie Petitbon has Maryland ranked in his top list of suitors (hence why he IS listed), but he’s most likely bound for the SEC (Alabama or LSU would be my guess).
The good news: there’s still plenty of legitimate talent out there for the Terps to grab. Let’s start with the locals, Quarvez Boulware, Isaiah Prince, and David Robbins. All three have a serious offer sheet, but all three have Maryland in their top four. Locksley is working real hard on Boulware and Prince, who at one point seemed SEC-bound. Robbins recently listed Maryland in his top three. Ellis McKennie (MD) doesn’t have a Terps offer, but he could be close. If Edsall decides to pull the trigger, McKennie might reciprocate and do the same.
Tommy Hatton (NJ) and Blake Camper (VA) will be tougher pulls, but certainly not impossible. Hatton’s recruitment is gaining serious steam, while Camper is from a place where Maryland hasn’t has any success recruiting. Yet both are in play; if Maryland plays their cards right, Edsall might have a better OL haul in 2015 than he did in 2014.
Defensive Line
Name School/State HT WT Other Offers
Adam McLean Quince Orchard (GBurg, MD) 6’2” 280 Everyone
Darrell Taylor Hopewell (Hopewell, VA) 6’4” 220 VT, UVA, UNC
Austrian Robinson Trinity-Pawling (Pawling, NJ) 6’6” 270 RU, BC
David Ryslik Peddle (Highstown, NJ) 6’4” 280 Duke, Temple
Neville Gallimore Canada Prep (Ontario) 6’3” 270 UCLA, CAL, MSU
Ok, here’s where it gets a little depressing. As you can see, there aren’t many serious options on the defensive line. Kamonte Carter (MD) and Ryan Buchholz (PA) were both serious Terps targets, and now both are Terps foes (both committed to PSU in February). Other prospects such as Adam McLean (MD) and Christian Wilkins (CT) each have a who’s who offer list, and therefore I’m not feeling the love from either on Maryland right now (although McLean seems to really like new DL coach Chad Wilt, so never say never) . For some reason that I can’t seem to figure out, Maryland has yet (and probably won’t) offer Good Counsel DE Darius Fullwood.
The most interesting prospect comes by way of our neighbors up north, Neville Gallimore (Ontario). He has an impressive list of offers, but Maryland was the first to spot this kid’s talents and offered before a slew of schools jumped in. Gallimore will be a tough pull, but Terps are in the game no doubt.
Other prospects will pop up, but Darius Kilgo, Andre Monroe and Keith Bowers’ senior seasons are approaching, so Edsall and company have work to do here.
Linebackers
Name School/State HT WT Other Offers
Wyatt Cook McDonogh (Owings Mills, MD) 6’2” 230 UVA, ODU
Kareem McDonald Wilson (Wash DC) 6’2” 210 Toledo
D’Vonta Hinton Texas City (Texas City, TX) 5’10” 200 TT, LTech
Joe Giles-Harris St. Joseph (Montvale, NJ) 6’1” 210 ASU, RUT, SYR
Jamie Gordinier Red Bank (Red Bank, NJ) 6’4” 230 MSU, MIA, WVU
Linebacker is not a heavy need in the 2015 class. The position is already stacked with young talent, but Edsall will likely bring in one linebacker. The top target appears to be Wyatt Cook (MD), whose recruitment is starting to pick up a bit. Some Big Ten schools are sniffing around, but Maryland is still high on his list. D’Vonta Hinton (TX) is another one of my favorite prospects and is indeed fun to watch; because of his size, the comparisons to London Fletcher are fitting, and like Fletcher, his small stature doesn’t limit his play on the field. We’ll see how serious Texas Tech (and other locals like Texas) push for him.
Kareem McDonald (DC) is not shy about displaying his affection for the hometown school. He doesn’t hold an offer yet, but if he gets one, he’ll probably commit on the spot. But before that happens, McDonald needs to bulk up and prove that he can man the middle of a defense at the next level.
Cornerbacks
Name School/State HT WT Other Offers
Kareem Ali Timber Creek (Sicklerville, NJ) 5’10” 170 CU, PSU, Ark, Neb
Marcus Lewis Gonzaga (Wash DC) 6’2” 180 UF, FSU, MIA, OSU
Jalen Christian Damascus (Damascus, MD) 5’10” 165 Mich, ND, OSU, PSU
Dionte Austin Calvert Hall (Baltimore, MD) 5’10” 170 OSU, VT, WV
Ashton White McNamara (Forestville, MD) 5’11” 180 VT, OSU
Darnell Savage Caravel (Bear, DE) 5’10” 170 UVA, RU
The Terps missed out on Jalen Tabor in 2014, and looking at the depth chart for this upcoming season, it’s safe to say DC Brian Stewart needs help in this department. Lucky for him, the DMV (+NJ) is stockpiled with talented corners.
Maryland won’t get the likes of elite CB’s Minkah Fitzpatrick (NJ) or John Reid (PA), and with former DC corner Marcus Lewis transferring from Gonzaga to IMG Academy in Florida, I seriously doubt they’ll get him too (Gators? Hurricanes?). But gifted cover guys Jalen Christian (MD) and Ashton White (MD) are more than receptive when it comes to the hometown school. New DL coach Chad Wilt has done a fantastic job getting Christian’s attention, while former-teammate-now-Terp Damian Prince certainly has White’s.
Kareem Ali (NJ) will have his choice of schools, but LB coach Keith Dudzinkski has Maryland in Ali’s top five or so. The Terps still have some ground to make up with Ali, but there’s plenty of time to do that. In the meantime, Maryland continues to be the team to beat for Delaware speedster Darnell Savage. He’s still nursing his leg injury, but has plenty of good things to say about the Terps. They’ve remained loyal through his rehab, and that will play big when other schools come calling.
The idea of playing early is something Calvert Hall (MD) corner Dionte Austin is taking into consideration. He’s gaining more interest on the recruiting trail, and Virginia Tech will be tough to beat, but Maryland will be one of his top schools for sure.
Safeties
Name School/State HT WT Other Offers
Ayron Monroe St. Johns (Wash DC) 6’1” 190 OSU, PSU, WV, Wis
Tyler Green DeMatha (Hyattsville, MD) 6’2” 215 NCS, UVA
Jay Stocker Coatesville (Coatesville, PA) 6’1” 185 PSU, Pit, VA, Wisc
Jameel Cook Ridge Point (Missouri City, TX) 6’1” 190 Mizz, CU
Again we’re at a point where fans think because a family member is a part of the team that said person is a lock. This is not the case for DC safety Ayron Monroe, younger brother of current Terp Andre Monroe. Now, that doesn’t mean that the Terps won’t get Monroe come February 2nd. Maryland is in great position with the St. John’s product, but you can’t take schools like Notre Dame, Mississippi State and Penn State lightly.
Same can be said for DeMatha safety Tyler Green. Maryland is at the top of his list, but as we saw in 2014, DeMatha kids tend to go elsewhere. Therefore, it’s very possible (even likely) that Green will end up a Terp, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Coatesville safety-net Jay Stocker (PA) has a former teammate and friend on the team (2014 commit Tyler Burke), but it’ll be tough pulling him out of Pennsylvania. The Terps lead for Texas product Jameel Cook, but we’ll see if that remains the case when biggers offers from the Big Ten and Big Twelve come.