Maryland football's 2024 recruiting class superlatives

With the early signing period now complete, Maryland has inked its 21 verbal commits. Head coach Mike Locksley and the staff put a premium on the trenches this cycle, signing eight along the offensive line, and reloaded in the secondary with six targets putting pen to paper on Wednesday. With that, we dish out superlatives for the 2024 class thus far:

Team captain: QB Khristian Martin

No doubt about this. One of the most accomplished quarterbacks locally, Martin posted a 28-2 record as a starter while winning the state championship as a junior and being named co-All Metro Player of the Year by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Martin will enroll at Maryland next June with over 30 college credits, while on the field, the Virginia native showed traits that convinced head coach Mike Locksley he’s the perfect fit within the Terrapins’ offense. The complete package that Martin brings is exactly what a college coach wants in their quarterback as he elevates the talent level in the 2024 quarterback room.

Most likely to contribute (offense): Mekhai White

Wide receiver wasn’t the biggest need for Maryland during this recruiting cycle but a talent like White is hard to pass up. Despite the depth of the receiving core for next season, White could be the guy to rotate in through his freshman year after enrolling in January. He’s the definition of a playmaker, finishing his senior year with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Many times White would turn a screen or short pass into a huge gain and make it look easy. Another strength of his is tracking the ball on a deep pass and coming down with it no matter who is around. He puts that 6’3” frame of his to good use on 50-50 balls. Even if White doesn’t get on the field right away, look for him to be a featured target in Maryland’s offense sooner rather than later.

Most versatile: ATH Josiah McLaurin

Lining up as a running back and wide receiver out of high school, the 6-foot, 180-pound three-star out of Clinton (NC) was announced as a running back by Maryland. There’s always been a focus on adding speed at the skill spots, and for a 6-foot, 180-pound shifty athlete with a 22.83 MPH Catapult-verified speed, McLaurin fits that description to a tee. How Maryland will use McLaurin will be interesting with a chance to flash out of the backfield, whether as a traditional running back or as a slot receiver, will be interesting to watch develop. There’s no doubt, though, that the type of athlete like McLaurin could thrive in Mike Locksley’s offense as they work to get him the ball in space.

Most likely to contribute (defense): Brandon Jacob

Maryland has a type when it comes to their safeties and Jacob fits that mold perfectly. He’s quick, has a nose for the ball, and is not afraid to hit. The starting spots for 2024 are likely filled by Dante Trader Jr. and Glendon Miller but Jacob, an early enrollee, gives the backline an impact player that immediately elevates the bottom of the room. A prototypical strong safety, he made plays in both the run and pass game throughout his senior year. Once he got near a ball carrier, they were not getting away from him. In the run game, Jacob crashes down and does not allow anyone to get in his way to the back. He can also be used on a safety blitz and make life uncomfortable for the quarterback. Maryland is expected to have a pair of veteran safeties in Glen Miller and Dante Trader Jr. in 2024, but Jacob has the talent to rotate into the backline when he enrolls in January.

Position best addressed this cycle: offensive line

The portal is where Maryland turns to to replenish its starting unit for the 2024 season. Maryland went out and added two linemen who, locally, were well-established as hidden gems heading into their senior years in Terez Davis and Ryan Howerton. Terez, the son of former NBA guard Ricky Davis, has a basketball background himself transitioned to offensive line after playing both defensive end and tight end as a junior. Some believe Davis has a chance to make an impact similar to how “Tree” Babalade did at South Carolina as a true freshman. Howerton has a great frame with excellent strength to reinforce the interior offensive line. Maryland also went out and landed a pair of local linemen this fall in OT Davon Watkins and IOL Trevor Szymanski while Pennsylvania duo Michael Hershey and Michael McMonigle jumped into the fold back in June. Maryland made it a top focus all cycle, but the staff went out and added pieces that will become integral to the future starting unit.

Most underrated signee: Terez Davis

How Davis remains a three-star is one of the biggest questions with the commits in 2024. Listed at 6-foot-5, 290-pounds, he’s the type of player every offensive line coach wants to get their hands on. Despite interest from other Power Five programs, Maryland was able to lock him down and he never wavered. Strong, athletic, and hard to get by is the perfect way to describe Davis. There’s a reason people think he could play right away. While there’s no guarantee of that, Davis still has a high upside that makes his development one of the must-sees from this class. Maryland might have found themselves a future all-conference type of player.

Sky high potential: Ryan Howerton

Out of the seven offensive linemen that Maryland got in 2024 Howerton and Davis are the two with the highest upside. Maryland keeping both of these linemen home was a huge win for them in this recruiting class. Nicknamed “Mountain”, Howerton lives up to that at 6-foot-4, 295-pounds. Like Davis, he’s another lineman who no one could get by and whose development is one to keep an eye on. Howerton lined up as a right tackle for Pallotti as a senior, where he can also slot for the Terps if not right guard. Still, the local lineman gives the Terps optimism for the future of the trenches.

Biggest recruiting win: CB Braydon Lee

Maryland picked up the signing day addition of Braydon Lee, flipping the local cornerback from South Carolina as the staff went the distance for the top local target. The buzz surrounding the Gamecocks began during Lee’s junior season as he and South Carolina freshman Desmond Umeozulu teamed up one last time. That consistent buzz materialized into a verbal commitment to South Carolina back in mid-April, but Lee and his family still kept the door open to staying home as cornerback coach Henry Baker stepped up to lead the way. Momentum began to build when Lee made multiple visits through the fall, giving him time to build chemistry with the coaches and players, before turning the attention to addressing any and all questions with mom about the prospect of staying local. Once Maryland did that during his official visit the Dec. 8 weekend, the Terps were able to close the deal the following weekend before Lee told South Carolina of his intention to flip on the morning of signing day.

Biggest remaining need: cornerback

With Tarver to Nebraska, Maryland will now need cornerbacks to restock the room for next year. Finding at least one more starter was a focus in the portal, one weekend after former UNC CB Tayon Holloway officially visited Maryland then signed with Louisville, but the now-young room has another spot to work with heading into the February signing period.

Toughest miss: OT Jordan Seaton

It’s only the toughest miss for how it ended. Maryland was always in the mix for the DMV native, but it wasn’t until an official visit during the final available weekend in December that tangible confidence began to materialize with the early signing period hours away. Maryland and Colorado went head-to-head through Wednesday into Thursday before the Buffs recaptured momentum, riding into his Friday afternoon signing. It’s a blow for a Maryland offensive line that was on the cusp of not just solidifying next year’s offensive line, but its first blue-chip win of the NIL era at a premium spot.

Most surprising miss: LB Jeremiah Marcelin

Despite his commitment to Pitt since late June, Maryland was well-positioned for the Florida linebacker, who even made the trip to College Park for two games this season alongside Larry Tarver. Marcelin had silently jumped into the fold midway through the season while mindful he was making his final decision following the season. Maryland made the trip to check on the Florida cornerback during the bye week, then twice during the contact period in December. Marcelin made the final call on Maryland the night before signing day, but according to his head coach, he changed his mind once more on the morning of signing day and ultimately inked with Pitt. For a target that Maryland nearly had in the fold for six months, a disappointing finish that came moments after Tarver flipped to Nebraska.

Maryland football’s 2024 recruiting class superlatives

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