Maryland Football: Under Armour All-America Game primer
By Chris Bengel
The Under Armour All-America Game will be played on Saturday and several Maryland commits and targets will be in action. Here’s our primer for the event:
Dwayne Haskins (QB, The Bullis School)
- Quite a bit has happened since Dwayne Haskins committed to Maryland last May. The Terrapins fired coach Randy Edsall and suffered through a 3-9 record. Following an uplifting comeback win at Rutgers in the season finale, Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin was hired as the program’s new head coach. Now Haskins is obviously still verbally committed to Maryland, but he is also weighing his options. Florida, LSU, and Ohio State are the most common suitors that have entered the picture over the last few months.
- Haskins is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the 2016 class as he is ranked as the No. 7 signal caller, according to 247Sports. The Bullis School (Md.) product is the glue to Maryland’s class and it would be a devastating blow if Haskins were to decommit. This is a guy that can flat-out sling the football around the field. Among his biggest strengths are his pinpoint accuracy and his pocket presence. Haskins isn’t necessarily a running quarterback, but he has the quickness to be effective under new offensive coordinator Walt Bell. Maryland fans are well aware of how talented Haskins is, but getting one last look at him before National Signing Day never hurts.
Keandre Jones (LB, Good Counsel)
- Much like Haskins, Keandre Jones isn’t 100 percent going to Maryland. The four-star linebacker was been committed to the Terps since Dec. 2014, and many may forgotten about him. However, Jones is still considered a Maryland lean, but is also considering Florida and Ohio State. The Good Counsel star is the defensive star of Maryland’s 2016 class.
- According to 247Sports, Jones is rated as the No. 8 outside linebacker in the entire nation. If you watch tape of Jones, you know just how special of a player he is. Jones is a very versatile linebacker that has an abundance of different skills that highlight his game. The four-star recruit is a superb tackler. If there’s an opposing player in the open field, Jones will bring him to the ground. Jones also excels in defending the run. He’s a very instinctive linebacker that the opposing quarterback always needs to account for. Jones also is a tremendous pass rusher, who possesses great speed off the edge. While Jones’ recruitment is still up in the air, he appears to be a huge fan of Durkin. It also doesn’t hurt that Durkin spent some time under Urban Meyer while at Florida.
Richard Merritt (OG, Archbishop Carroll)
- Richard Merritt is the first recruit to commit to Maryland since Durkin took over. Merritt is one of the most talented offensive linemen in the 2016 class, and is a phenomenal get for the Terps. Maryland has really been attacking the offensive line on the recruiting trail with guys like Derwin Gray, Brendan Moore, and Damian Prince coming to College Park recently. In Bell’s offenses, he likes quick and athletic offensive linemen that can get out and block. Merritt may have to slim down a bit, but it’s a role he could certainly fill.
- Merritt is rated as the No. 10 offensive guard in the country. This is a guy that has tremendous hands and is very agile on his feet. His size certainly makes him a great fit at Maryland due to the Big Ten being full of big, mammoth offensive linemen that control the trenches. Merritt was an incredibly dominant player during his high school career as he pancaked his fair share of opposing defensive linemen. Due to the fact that Merritt was so impressed with Durkin, this is one of the more solid Maryland verbal commitments.
Tino Ellis (WR, DeMatha Catholic)
- Tino Ellis is one of the most talented recruits in the DMV, and unlike some of his fellow commits, he’s a strong verbal to Durkin and his staff. Ellis has said while down in Florida, that he won’t be taking any other visits and he’s already spoke to Durkin. “He’s a real great guy,” Ellis said in a recent interview with SB Nation. “He’s real down to earth. I like his history, too. He came from Michigan and Florida, so I know he’s going to push the program to the right level.” In the interview, Ellis also stated that he’s trying to recruit several players to come to College Park while he’s at the Under Armour All-America Game.
- Ellis is a phenomenal route runner that drew rave reviews from several national analysts throughout the week. Aside from Haskins, Ellis is the top skill position player in Maryland’s 2016 class. This is a guy that has the ability to be a gamechanger at the collegiate level. He’s got great hands, and yards-after-catch are a big part of his game as a wideout. If Haskins ends up coming to College Park, he’ll have a ton of options with Ellis being a supremely talented one.
Terrance Davis (OG, DeMatha Catholic)
- Maryland has really made it a habit of building up their offensive line since they announced they would be moving to the Big Ten. The 2016 class already includes Michael Clark, Merritt, Brian Plummer, and Terek Zingale. Terrance Davis is one of the top offensive guards in the country, and would make a remarkable tandem on Durkin’s offensive line. Davis will be announcing during the All-America Game.
- Davis is one of the most talented offensive linemen to come through the WCAC in quite some time. The DeMatha star has the ability to push defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage like it’s nobody’s business. Davis is also a very stellar athlete that would fit right in with what Bell likes his offenses to do. This is the type of offensive guard that can get out and pull and do his fair share of blocking downfield.