With Baker in Fold, Terps Hit Recruiting Trail in the Secondary

Where the Terps may turn in the secondary with new cornerbacks coach Henry Baker announced.

Maryland officially announced the hire of cornerbacks coach Henry Baker last Friday, giving the staff a chance to move forward with their recruiting efforts in the secondary. The staff added their first commitment along the backline when Archbishop Spalding (Md.) nickel corner Jayon Venerable announced his commitment last July and remains locked in, while athletic prospect out of McDonogh (Md.) Dante Trader opted to join the 2021 class last fall to become a two-sport Maryland commit.

Maryland looked to stay in the mix with a number of local top targets, including coveted Quince Orchard (Md.) cornerback Ryan Barnes. The local 6-foot-2, 180-pound prospect made his way to campus earlier in the spring, but the Terps went up against stiff competition as Barnes opted to commit to Notre Dame this past weekend. With him off the board, two more defensive backs with local ties remain in the mix.

Lackawanna (Pa.) top cornerback De’Jahn Warren has all but one official visit set for the fall. He’ll head to Penn State on September 26 as they continue to go all-out for the top target, hoping to add yet another key piece out of Lackawanna as the Nittany Lions have signed three prospects from the JuCo powerhouse in the last two cycles. Warren will then head to Oklahoma on November 20 when the Sooners host Kansas, while he will travel to Tennessee on December 4 followed by Georgia the ensuing weekend.

Warren is keeping his fifth official wide open as he stays mum on which schools are vying for the final visit, while Baker hopes to ensure a smooth recruiting transition between he and outside linebacker coach Brawley Evans as Maryland works on their top target. It helps Maryland’s chances that Warren hails from the area as the Suitland (Md.) alum also has several ties to the program. A tentative visit back on March 13th would have aided Maryland's chances as Warren had a chance to spend more individual time with the staff, but the impromptu recruiting shutdown just a day prior scratched Warren's plans to get to campus.

Still, he's plenty familiar with the local team. Now, the focus turns to building on his relationship as time helps the Terps' efforts in the race. Warren visited Happy Valley earlier this offseason and the consistency from the Nittany Lions may have reset the bar moving forward.

Meanwhile, East Mississippi cornerback Khyree Jackson announced plans to commit on July 11 between a top six of Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Carolina. Maryland had kept in touch about once a week, per Jackson, prior to the announcement of Baker joining to the staff. Intel suggests that Jackson would give Maryland a strong look if the staff ramps up their pursuit, the increased competition has made the race tougher. Oklahoma had at one point drawn buzz in his recruitment, while Alabama has made a strong push to stay in his top group and the allure of Oregon has the cross-country suitor squarely in the mix. Maryland will spend the next month explain the cultural fit as Baker and Jackson get to know each other, so we’ll see if the Terps can make noise down the stretch if Jackson sticks to his timeline.

One out-of-state prospect to note is Douglas County (Ga.) cornerback Kani Walker, who confirmed with All Terrapins on Monday that he connected with Baker as his offer was reaffirmed. After his decision to reopen his recruitment from Boston College on June 1, Louisville had buzz as a top contender moving forward as Virginia became the latest school to offer just a day later. The Terps have quietly stayed in the mix due to the relationship with Walker held with area recruiter Brawley Evans as he added this week that Maryland will “without a doubt” receive a return visit.

“That was going to be one of my officials before the coronavirus shut everything down, but that’s definitely going to be one of my visits on my mind because I want to go back up there. Sometimes, you can want somebody but if they don’t want you how they say they do, you can tell. They’re always straight up. I was talking to everybody, but I could tell they truly wanted me and they really made me a priority."

With the 2021 class largely in place, the staff can concentrate their efforts on rounding out remaining needs with their key outstanding targets. That added flexibility allows the staff to capitalize on their collective recruiting philosophy as Maryland ramps up the heat in the secondary heading into summer. That also helps Baker hit the trail as his personable touch has already paid dividends. “He talked more about becoming a man than just being a football player,” Walker added of Baker on Monday night.