Maryland wanted to get Douglas County (GA) three-star defensive end Zachariah Keith on campus to see him in-person and this week, the 2023 prospect made that a reality. His trip to campus paved the way for Keith’s fifth verbal offer, putting the Terps officially in the conversation.
“I liked it, it was a really great experience,” Keith told Inside the Black and Gold. “I had been told that they wanted me to come up there so my cousin brought me up there. I liked it down here.” His trip on Monday marked his first trip into College Park as he and running backs coach Elijah Brooks got a chance to connect further. “I did a tour but I got a chance to talk with the coaching staff. It’s just like Georgia Tech in a sense.”
Keith saw several similarities in the Terps’ program compared to Georgia Tech, the program he’s currently committed to. Keith took in an unofficial to the Yellow Jackets back on June 22 and announced his commitment just three days later with the decision to play close to home remaining a prominent factor for him. “I grew up around Atlanta so basically with the college being in the city, I’m big on that.”
But the Terps pitched the possibility of leaving familiar territory and expanding his horizons, hoping to bring him back for a return visit.
“Basically just Georgia is always going to be there, you just have to go out and see new things for yourself. I talked with coach Brooks, coach Locks, I got to talk to the DL coach [Brian Williams], and the linebacker coach [Brawley Evans].” Brooks is leading the way in his recruitment as Keith will iron out his fall schedule in hopes of returning to College Park.
“I don’t really have any questions still but I still want to come back down for a game. It’s really close to Washington so coming back and seeing all that and the sights and stuff, I’d say that’s something I want to see again.”
Keith is rated a three-star prospect and an 86 overall by 247Sports, sitting as the 38th-best prospect in Georgia.