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Gadsden County Assistant Rispress on Maryland: "This is a Trip They Need to Take"

Writer's picture: Ahmed GhafirAhmed Ghafir

June has been a busy month in College Park with the official end to the NCAA-imposed dead period that spanned 15 months. Prospects began trickling onto campus beginning the morning of June 1 but it was June 4 that marked a milestone for the program as Maryland unveiled the Jones-Hill House, the football program’s new football facility. Maryland hosted an elite crew of talent on June 4 as the near-$150 million facility has amplified the buzz around the program heading into year three under head coach Mike Locksley.

The vision that Locksley and his staff have put forward helped Maryland pluck away elite in-state talent through the first three cycles, such as Nick Cross and Rakim Jarrett, while the staff’s strong connections down in the Sunshine State helped land more program-changing talent in former four-stars Ruben Hyppolite, Branden Jennings, five-star Terrence Lewis, and three-star Darrell Jackson.

This weekend was no different as 2022 Maryland commit Lionell Whitaker and 2023 cornerback Levontai Summersett took their first trip to campus. This weekend also marked the second time that Gadsden County assistant coach Devin Rispress has basked in Maryland’s campus, but after checking out the new football facility for the first time, Rispress has a clear message for prospects that hold an offer from the Terps.

“Man, it’s second-to-none,” Rispress told Inside the Black & Gold. “I’ve been to a lot of places, a lot of colleges, and no college compares to this.” Summersett and Whitaker couldn’t help but agree with Rispress. “I liked everything. They had a little area where you can play pool, hang around, they had a little barbershop. I liked that a lot,” Summersett said. Whitaker reinforced that message, adding “the videos showed no justice.”

The Jones-Hill House features two full-length grass practice fields, positional meeting rooms, reclining seats for all 126 individual lockers, a recording studio inside the players’ lounge, and a 24,000 square foot weight room that’s four times the size of the existing weight room. The locker rooms were a personal favorite for both Summersett and Whitaker, with Summersett adding, “they have a studio and a barbershop. I like that a lot.” Rispress added that the new facility is the cherry on top of a program trending in the right direction.

“It stacks up and more. That building itself is just amazing. Any kid that has an offer from Maryland, this is a trip they need to take. On top of that, they have world-class coaches also with world-class personalities. Coach Locksley, coach [Brian] Williams, coach Brawley [Evans], coach [Ron] Zook and the other guys, not just the facilities but the coaches there are a great bunch of guys also.”

Prior to Gadsden County, Rispress coached at Godby High School (FL) alongside Maryland co-defensive coordinator Brian Williams as their “brother-like relationship” helped open his eyes to the Terps. But Rispress also acknowledges the drastic changes that the program has undergone under Locksley’s direction. “When Locksley arrived, everybody knew what the culture was like. Since his arrival, he’s completely changed the culture here at the University of Maryland.”

With a friend already committed and another enrolled with the program, Summersett has only heard good things about the Terps so far. “I had seen videos and my homies Jeshaun Jones and [Fa’Najae Gotay] told me about it but it was better seeing it in person. The videos, it actually was a lot better.” Despite being the second Maryland commitment this cycle, Whitaker added his campus tour surpassed expectations. “I knew a lot but I didn’t know it was going to look this good,” he added.

The personable touch from the coaching staff helped cement a positive visit for both prospects. “[Williams] showed me he was a good person and he has a good personality,” Summersett added. Whitaker enjoyed reconnecting with his future coaches. “They’re very cool. Good personality really. They’re real,” Whitaker added. “I met the new coaches. I learned the defense. I feel like the defense fit me well. It fits me all the way, really.”

The group will fly back to Florida on Tuesday after Summersett and Whitaker work out for Maryland but to Rispress, it’s clear that Maryland has the resources to set high school athletes up for success.

“The ones that hold an offer, they should come take a look for themselves and see what Maryland has to offer.”

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