Four Positional Recruiting Needs for the Terps

Breaking down remaining needs for the Terps' recruiting efforts

Maryland enters the final week of May with 14 commitments, while the staff will hope for good news later today when C.H. Flowers (Md.) defensive tackle Tommy Akingbesote announces his commitment. While the defensive line haul has been stellar for the Terps this cycle, we take a look at other positional needs for Maryland as they navigate through the recruiting cycle.

Quarterback

Offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery got a little bit of breathing room when it comes to the depth in the quarterback room in the last month. Though D3 transfer Evan Lewandowski will figure into the rotation next fall, Taulia Tagovailoa now joins redshirt freshman Lance Legendre as the lone underclassmen quarterbacks as the position still remains void in the 2021 cycle.

A big part of that is the Terps’ pursuit of elite Gonzaga (DC) quarterback Caleb Williams, who continues to trend hard to Oklahoma. With the Terps a distant second, the staff also saw their second emerging target come off the board when Sierra Canyon (Ca.) gun-slinger Chayden Peery committed to Georgia Tech over the holiday weekend.

Montgomery, meanwhile, has maintained interest in Loyola (Ca.) quarterback Brayden Zermeno as the two sides have begun drilling into the offensive scheme more. With three quarterbacks on the roster heading in the 2021 season, the Terps will likely look to sign at least one more quarterback. Though the staff has utilized the dead period to expand their 2022 recruiting board as well as turn the heat up on their priority 2021 targets, the cautious approach to quarterback recruiting could turn the search into the fall. A byproduct of the lost evaluation period this spring could be an uptick in offers to seniors during their seasons, so the Terps have time and leverage on their side.

Wide Receiver

The Terps first offensive commit came last fall when Stone Bridge (Va.) wide receiver Tai Felton pulled the trigger, but since then, Maryland continues to battle with their top targets. Oklahoma has positioned themselves well for a pair of top targets, Wise (Md.) Jalil Farooq and St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes Malcolm Johnson, as head coach Lincoln Riley looks to extend his footprint in the DMV. Maryland has steadily improved their positioning with Northwest (Md.) receiver Kaden Prather as wide receiver coach Joker Phillips builds on their growing connection. The relationships in Happy Valley aren’t as strong as when Gerad Parker and Ricky Rahne were on the staff, but new receiver coach Taylor Stubblefield has rebuilt the connection between them while West Virginia remains in the mix. Prather could be the target that has his recruitment span as an uncommitted prospect, but the Terps are working to keep the elite target in the fold.

Meanwhile, Maryland hosted Lake Minneola (Fl.) receiver Junious Johnson back in March as he connected with position coach Joker Phillips, while Maryland was the latest school to offer St. Mary’s St. Ryken (Md.) receiver Dezmond Williams last month. The latest offer came over the weekend when James Campbell (Hi.) athlete Titus Mokiao-Atimalala added his 20 verbal offer as the Terps look to battle Arizona State, Cal, Notre Dame, UCLA and Utah among others. Maryland fans were quick to note the Hawaian connection between Mokiao-Atimalala and incoming quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, hoping the latest quarterback addition helps reel in elite talent from a newer recruiting territory.

Linebacker

Hutchinson inside linebacker Gereme Spraggins is the lone commit for the Terps at his position, but Maryland is hoping to pair him with more elite talent. The Terps remain in the mix for more athletic linebackers in their backyard in DeMatha (Md.) Greg Penn and St. Frances (Md.) Jamon Dumas-Johnson. The relationships in College Park put the Terps among the top contenders for Penn, who has a top six of Alabama, LSU, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas A&M and South Carolina. Meanwhile, Dumas-Johnson has not been able to venture to too many of his suitors but did make his way to College Park with teammates back in January. The Baltimore product did visit Florida in March with teammate, Gator cornerback commit Clinton Burton.

Outside linebacker coach Brawley Evans positioned the Terps to become the first power five offer for Westview (Or.) rangy linebacker Patrick Hisatake, who has since added offers from Arizona State, Kansas, Michigan and UCLA among others. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound athletic pass-rusher has previously told AllTerrapins that distance is not a factor, while the relationship with Evans could keep the Terps in position for an official visit.

Cornerback

The Terps have a pair of defensive backs committed in McDonogh (Md.) Dante Trader and Archbishop Spalding (Md.) Jayon Venerable while a flurry of targets with local ties remain top targets. Florida commit Clinton Burton was on campus earlier this offseason as St. Frances made a team trip to College Park.

Meanwhile, Quince Orchard (Md.) cornerback Ryan Barnes cut his list to 15 on Tuesday with the Terps among those still in the mix. Maryland succeeded in the juco market last cycle and they’re gunning for two more at cornerback in Lackawanna cornerback De’Jahn “Nugget” Warren and East Mississippi cornerback Khyree Jackson.

While the recruiting board remains open for the Terps, a large part of that is due to the cornerbacks coach vacancy along with the ongoing pandemic. Heading into the fall, Maryland will lean on a trio of sophomores in Deonte Banks, Vincent Flythe and Lavonte Gater as Nick Cross shines along the backlines.