The final recruiting event before the 2022 season wrapped up on Saturday afternoon as a good chunk of Maryland’s 2024 targets made it into campus. Notes from today:
The point of today’s event was to build on relationships for much of the 2024 targets with coaches still awaiting direct contact with rising juniors prior to the September 1 contact window. So far, all the feedback has been positive and having the pool open for recruits to hang around was something that came up in just about every conversation following this round of visits. Recruits were able to play basketball in the pool with each other and sounds like Chaminade-Madonna duo Deandre Duffus and Elvin Harris ran the table with a 12-game win streak on the day. Tough to beat a 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-4 prospect duo, but that didn’t deter the vibes.
One notable 2023 target who didn’t make it in was Unity Reed (VA) linebacker Amare Campbell with his father having to tend to work and Amare having media availability for his high school team. That isn’t expected to deter Maryland’s chances as they battle North Carolina, but still view Maryland as the team to beat with the parents preferring the Terps over Tar Heels. Campbell will announce on August 27 and I have yet to shift him the Virginia linebacker from WARMER on the big board.
Fresh off vacation, Good Counsel (MD) four-star edge rusher Dylan Gooden and his parents made the trip to College Park on Saturday and I strongly expect Maryland to be a long-term player in his recruitment. I still lean towards Rutgers being the pick on August 9 with Maryland second but have heard Gooden has given the staff reason to be optimistic. I expected Gooden to take a postseason official and sounds like that’s now on track to take place the first weekend of December, the same weekend that Maryland is targeting Carroll (MD) five-star Nyckoles Harbor to take an official visit.
I expect Gooden’s teammate and four-star defensive end Neeo Avery to go ahead with a commitment to Ole Miss on Sunday, a decision that caught those close to him off guard. Avery made the trip to the Sip without his parents and his coaches weren’t privy to a pending commitment heading into the weekend. His decision to announce on July 31 is a steep shift from his original fall timeline and with some indecision in Avery’s circle, I expect Maryland to keep close tabs on him through the fall. Both Oregon and Maryland were considered the top schools heading into the dead period.
At WR, Churchill WR Zeke Avit made the trip in and could take a midseason official with the staff still interested in the two-sport athlete. Without a dire need at receiver, Maryland will keep the flame burning in his recruitment as Avit impressed them in camp with receivers coach Gunter Brewer in pursuit. Elsewhere and not a visitor this weekend, Virginia wideout Carmelo Taylor is a longshot until he visited but even with buzz that South Carolina would become the pick, Taylor announced on social media that his second planned commitment date for Sunday has now been postponed. Maryland will keep trying on the 757 speedster but, again, he’ll need to make it onto campus for Maryland to move the needle in a slow moving recruitment. Virginia Tech and Penn State are also in the mix.
Speaking of Elvin Harris in the first bullet point, he’s someone that the staff has kept an eye on but has not offered and Saturday’s visit was a chance for Maryland to see genuine interest in the 6-foot-6, 317-pound tackle. Offensive line coach Brian Braswell could take along look at the teammate of Deandre Duffus given the current buzz surrounding Babalade, while Pennsylvania tackle Nick Krahe will likely push his recruitment into the season. The lone school that he officially visited last month was Pitt and now, Maryland and West Virginia are the primary schools pushing in his recruitment.
Other targets who did not make it in on Saturday include 2024 Millford Mill (MD) quarterback Deshawn Purdie (family), Flowers (MD) DB Braydon Lee, DeMatha duo 2024 DT Emmett Laws & 2025 QB Denzel Gardner (transportation), St. Frances (MD) RB Dejuan Williams (transportation), Phoebus (VA) DE Anthony Reddick (transportation) and 2025 Rock Creek (MD) WR Aaron Lewis (team).