It’s been a very up and down week for the University of Maryland football team. After clinching bowl eligibility on Saturday the Terps saw their biggest recruit since Stefon Diggs decommit.

(Discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

There’s no other way to put it. The loss of Kaindoh definitely hurts. Defensive end is a position of need for Maryland and he has the size and skill to be a force from the moment he steps on campus, wherever that may end up being.

But while it is a big blow, it isn’t one the recruiting class can’t recover from. Just days after Kaindoh’s decommitment the Terps got a pledge from 3-star DE Lawtez Rogers. While not of the same caliber of Kaindoh, Rogers fills a need and is continuing D.J. Durkin’s goal of keeping the top local kids home.

Even with the loss of Kaindoh, Maryland’s 2017 class is currently 17th on the 247sports National Rankings, which if it holds, would be the highest the school has ever finished. There are five remaining 4-star recruits currently in the class that could have a significant impact in the future: quarterback Kasim Hill, defensive tackle Cam Spence, offensive lineman Marcus Minor, offensive lineman Jordan McNair and cornerback Deon Jones. And with months to go until national signing day Durkin still has time to add even more talent to the class.

But in this post we’re going to focus a little down the road at the class of 2018 and go through some of the Terps top targets. So far Maryland only has one class of 2018 commitment, Eriq Gilyard, a high 3-star linebacker from Florida, but the Terps are in the mix for several highly-rated prospects up and down the east coast.

Devin Leary, 3-star QB, New Jersey
Maryland is getting its quarterback of the future in this year’s recruiting class with 4-star Kasim Hill, but after Hill there will be a future and that could be with Leary. Offensive coordinator Walt Bell is recruiting him personally and he seems like a good fit for Bell’s system. He is a pro style quarterback but he moves well enough and has a nice arm with good touch on his passes. Maryland seems to be the favorite right now but it could come down between the Terps and in-state Rutgers.

Daniel George, 4-star WR, Oxon Hill (MD)
Standing at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and running a 4.5 40-yard dash George has all the physical tools you want to see at the next level. Combine that with good hands and leaping ability and he has the potential to make a big impact at the next level. George is one of Maryland’s top local targets and keeping him in Prince George’s County will be one of Durkin’s top priorities. According to the 247sports Crystal Ball that focus is working, with all predictions pointing towards George spending his college years in College Park.

Sean Ryan 3-star WR, New York
At 6-foot-3 Ryan has great size and length for the wide receiver position. Though he isn’t a burner nor is he the most athletic receiver you will find, he runs clean routes and has good hands. Right now it seems Maryland’s biggest competition will come from Rutgers, but Ryan has said that Ohio State is his dream school, so if the Buckeyes swoop in it’s tough to see him ending up anywhere else.

Jaelyn Duncan, 4-star OT, Northern (MD)
Success starts up front with the big uglies and Duncan would be a huge coup for Maryland as Durkin tries to turn the program around. One of the few positions that has top-notch talent currently, a team can never have too many talented offensive lineman. Currently the one projection on the Crystal Ball has Duncan leaning towards Ohio State, but you can be sure Durkin is focused on not letting the top talent leave the area.

Rasheed Walker, 4-star OT, North Point (MD)
Another talented lineman out of Maryland, Walker has all the tools to become a force on the Terps line. At 6-foot-5, 280 pounds he has the natural size, and with a year in a college weight program Walker could be a force to be reckoned with. Right now both projections on the 247sports Crystal Ball has Walker eventually choosing Maryland, but it won’t be easy for the Terps to keep him from Big 10 rival Ohio State.

John Morgan, 3-star DE, DeMatha (MD)
A quick, strong defensive end, Morgan makes an impact on every play. He needs to add some bulk, which will help him with bigger, stronger offensive linemen. As of right now it seems the Terps are on the outside looking in with all three predictions on the Crystal Ball pointing to Penn State, but you can bet that Maryland will find it worth a few trips down the road to Hyattsville to try to convince Morgan to stay home.

Austin Fontaine, 4-star DT, DeMatha (MD)
One of the top players in the country Fontaine has the size and skill to make an impact from the get go when he gets on a college campus. He is as strong as a bull and moves extremely well for a player of his size. Right now Fontaine holds offers from pretty much all of the top programs across the country with but seems to have the Terps as the slight favorite over Ohio State. Keeping him home is paramount and Durkin will hope the pipeline that he has formed with DeMatha over the last couple of years continues to pay dividends.

Dillon Harris, unrated LB, Connecticut
At 6-feet, 210 pounds Harris is a little undersized for a Power Five linebacker but he is one of the more athletic players at his position. Currently unrated, his offer sheet also includes Boston College, Michigan, Rutgers and Syracuse. Though it seems Harris will get several more offers over the next year, Maryland seems like the team to beat early on.

Anthony Lytton, 4-star CB, Wise, (MD)
Arguably the best player in the state of Maryland keeping Lytton in state is one of the top priorities for Maryland. Luckily for Durkin and his staff, Lytton goes to high school just a few miles away from College Park. If he comes to Maryland Lytton would likely see significant playing time from the moment he steps on campus. Florida State is the favorite right now and his offer sheet reads like a who’s who of the top 25, but Durkin certainly won’t let Lytton leave the state without a fight.

Ken Montgomery Jr., 4-star CB, Florida
While Durkin’s main focus has been on attracting the DMV’s top talent to Maryland he has also spent significant time and resources in the talent rich state of Florida. One prize the Terps have been focused on his the 6-foot-2 Montgomery, who has all the physical tools needed to be a lockdown defender at the next level. Montgomery hasn’t listed any favorites yet but it seems Maryland is in good position going forward. Among his other offers are Florida State, Penn State, Arkansas and USC.

Andrew Feather
Andrew Feather

Andrew Feather is a multimedia journalist from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. Currently a broadcast journalism major at Elon University in Elon, N.C., Feather serves as the Assistant Sports Director of Elon Local News, the school’s award winning, student-run news broadcast.

X