Terps Football: Growing Recruiting Momentum After A Busy Stretch

Sometimes, when the recruiting flood gates open, they really open.

With another dead period starting in a few days, the Terps coaching staff hosted several recruiting targets on campus this past weekend. And the big recruiting push helped yield a handful of commitments to the 2023 class.

Maryland’s recent football recruiting success dates back to Father’s Day weekend when the Terps received a committment from St. Frances (Baltimore, Md.) three-star wide receiver Ryan Manning, who chose College Park over Minnesota. Manning was amongst the attendees on campus this past weekend.

The momentum from Manning’s commitment continued into the following week with a pledge from Florida defensive back Jonathan Akins, who also had offers from Rutgers, Coastal Carolina, and South Florida, among others.

With about a dozen recruits on campus last weekend, the Terps received a commitment announcement via social media from St.John’s three-star wideout Sean Williams. Williams had a long list of suitors that included Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Wake Forest, but he ultimately decided to roll with the hometown school. Williams is arguably Maryland’s top 2023 commitment to date.

Sunday was a very busy day for the Terps, as in-state tight end AJ Szymanski committed to Maryland following his official visit over the weekend. The Loyola Blakefild (Towson, Md.) three-star became the third in-state member of Maryland’s 2023 class. His 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame will be a welcomed addition to the tight end room in College Park, where he chose to attend over Army, Navy, Temple, UConn, and more.

Shortly after Szymanski pledged to the Terps, Mike Locksley and his staff picked up their second commitment of the day from Wise (Upper Marlboro, Md.) defensive back Mykal Morman. This is one where an in-state kid with only one Power Five offer jumped at the opportunity to be a Terp. He picked up an offer recently at a Maryland recruiting camp where he ran a 4.40 40-yard dash.

The Terps’ red hot recruiting continued on Monday when they landed a commitment from another tight end. This time Florida three-star Dylan Wade, who was coming off of official visits to Maryland, Purdue and Rutgers. In the same breath, Locksley & Co. also received a commitment from Wade’s Jones High School (Orlandon, Fla.) teammate Derrick Rogers. The three-star wide receiver held offers from Miami, Nebraska, Ole Miss, and more. Some schools were recruiting him as a defensive back, and while Maryland is said to have recruited him as a wideout, it will be interesting to see what he ultimately ends up playing at the next level.

The two commits from Jones and Akins now give the Terps three florida commits in the 2023 class.

And as if two recruits weren’t enough for a Monday, the Terps decided to cap it off with a third. East Orange, New Jersey, three-star wide receiver Joshua Richards saw what he needed to see during his visit over the weekend and pulled the trigger with a commitment to Maryland over his other suitors such as UConn, Syracuse, Wake Forest, and Rutgers.

More to come?…

The Terps not only hosted top recruiting targets this past weekend, they also had a handful on campus midweek last week. Between both groups of visitors, several targets are on short term commit watch.

Jason Moore: Part of last week’s midweek recruiting visit, DeMatha’s Moore was getting wooed by the Terps coaching staff as one of the top local prospects in the class. Many believe the four-star defensive tackle is Notre Dame bound, but the Terps aren’t going to let him go without a fight.

Alex Moore: The St. Vincent Pallotti (Laurel, Md.) defensive back could be one of the next to commit to the Terps. Moore visited in the middle of last week and is high on Maryland.

Daniel Wingate: Moore’s teammate at Pallotti, Wingate was also on campus in the middle of last week and is on commit watch. He’s a three-start outside linebacker that the Terps could really use.

Braeden Wisloski: Another one who could commit soon is Wisloski, who plays for Southern Columbia (Catawissa, Pa.) and was on campus this past weekend. He is a three-star running back who could be a real sleeper in this class. He’s choosing between Rutgers and Maryland at this point.

Dillan Fontus: Another weekend visitor, Fontus is a three-star defensive end from Canarsie (Brooklyn, NY). The Terps seem in prime position with Fontus, as well as his teammate who was also on campus over the weekend.

Tayvon Nelson: Nelson is said to be between West Virginia and Maryland at this point, but the Terps could be in the driver seat. The three-star defensive back drove all the way from WVU after his official visit to Morgantown to take a second trip to Maryland over the weekend. Things are looking good here.

Tosin Babalade: Perhaps Maryland’s top target in the 2023 class, Babalade is local, talented, and at a huge position of need. The four-star offensive tackle was on campus over the weekend and reportedly enjoyed his time in College Park.