Several prospects from the Sunshine State made their way to campus this week as head coach Mike Locksley and the staff chip away with their 2024 targets.
After picking up an offer earlier this offseason, Orangewood Christian (FL) three-star defensive lineman Sincere Edwards made his first trip to campus and it exceed his expectations.
“To be honest, I loved it. As far as the coaching staff goes, the players go, I loved everything that I’ve seen. I was there for two days so I was able to see position meetings and stuff like that, really see and get insight on how the coaches coach, how they talk to the players, how the players interact with each other and stuff like that,” Edwards told IBG.
His two-day visit gave him a chance to see every inch of campus, but more importantly, it gave him a chance to spend extended time with area coach and position recruiter Brian Williams. “After sitting with him, I love the way he coaches. Seeing the plays and how well he sets up his defensive line scheme, I feel like that’s a program I can fit in. even afterwards I was talking with him and we actually broke film down and picking his brain as far as like the technique, how to make my film better off the ball. Little things like that, but I love the way he coached.”
It also helps that Edwards is close friends with 2023 signee Mike Harris. “That’s my boy. I also know Jordan Phillips too. We hung out, went to dinner, had a good time,” Edwards added. “A lot of the players are from Florida. Everywhere I was looking, there was a Florida cat and that says a lot for a lot of Florida boys playing at Maryland.”
I enjoyed my time at Maryland! I’m coming back for spring game! #goterps 🐢 @coachwill347 @coachjthomas11 pic.twitter.com/VMJAz1BtkS
— Sincere Edwards (@SincereEdwards0) March 17, 2023
The feedback that Phillips gave Edwards also resonated with the Florida target.
“He transferred in from Tennessee. That’s a bigger school so I was asking what Tennessee is like so he gave me his point of view, that it was just a bad experience. But at Maryland, they actually comfort him and they believe in him and they all around make him feel like he’s playing to the best of his ability and he believes they’ll take him to the next level. That was one thing I liked. Even though he’s at the school, he’s the type of dude that will keep it real and being that I’d have Michael [Harris] with me as well, I’d really be able to keep tabs on Maryland and see what’s real and what’s not. For the most part, everything I’ve seen is real and I love what I see.”
After taking visits to Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Cincinnati, Edwards will visit Pitt and Colorado next month while he maintains his seven-month verbal commitment to UCF. “As far as UCF goes, I really do love them as a school but tat the same time I still have a whole year of recruiting and I’m not going to shut down any school or opportunity. So I’m still keeping my options open, but UCF has a big plus because they’re right at home.”
Maryland, meanwhile, is well positioned to host Edwards on a second extended visit possibly in June.
“We talked about it but we haven’t set it up, but nine times out of ten that’s a school I’m taking an official to.”
Edwards is rated a three-star prospect and an 87 overall by On3.
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