Recruiting

Local lineman high on staying home, Maryland after official visit

Maryland hosted a long line of targets this past weekend as head coach Mike Locksley and the staff looked toward the portal to fill multiple key needs on both sides of the ball. Maryland also saw a handful of high school targets make their way to campus, giving St. Frances (MD) three-star offensive lineman Logan Bennett yet another chance to check out the hometown school.

Maryland has been tracking the 6-foot-5, 310-pound lineman ever since the start of his junior season with the Panthers’ starting tackle viewed locally among the under-the-radar linemen within the DMV. Bennett had Maryland on his shortlist for official visits back in June before opting to pull the trigger on his pledge to Michigan State back in late June. Maryland remained in contact despite his pledge, and when Mel Tucker was removed as the Spartans’ head coach, Bennett’s recruitment slightly reopened and the Terps stayed consistent ever since.

Bennett’s familiarity is a bonus for the Terps having been to campus for at least five visits prior to his early commitment to Michigan State, along with making his way to College Park for the Penn State game last month. “I’ve been there a lot so there’s not really much new that I can see,” Bennett added. “I definitely liked when we went to dinner.”

Bennett spent time with freshman defensive lineman Dillan Fontus on the first night before the weekend visitors took in Baltimore on Saturday night, but the highlight for Bennett was reconnecting with his future position coaches.

“Me, Bras and [Louis] Swaba sat down in the meeting room just talking about football, talking about life.”

Boston College, Charlotte, UConn and Kent State are among the verbal offers for Bennett, a 6-foot-5 lineman who projects inside, but there are no plans for additional visits prior to signing day. With plans to make an announcement this week, Bennett explains what sticks out about Maryland.

“I think one of the main things, the Big Ten. I definitely wanted to stay in the Big Ten. I love staying home. That’s like my favorite thing. Just being able to stay close to home and be able to come home when I want.”

Logan Bennett is rated a three-star prospect and an 85 overall by On3, sitting as the 42^nd-best prospect in Maryland. He is eligible to enroll at the school of his choice in January.