Saturday marked the first time that Calvert Hall (MD) three-star defensive end Daniel Owens has taken in a gameday visited as a recruit and the atmosphere inside the 30-24 win didn’t disappoint. After making a pair of summer visits to College Park, Saturday gave the 6-foot-2, 245-pound defensive end a different perspective on the program.
“It was a white-out game so a lot of people showed up, a lot of energy even though West Virginia had so many fans. It was just a great atmosphere,” Owens told Inside the Black and Gold. “One person was leading the chant then slowly it would get louder. It was exactly what you’d want.”
Owens took note of the Terps’ three sacks and strong third-down defense during the win. “I was watching but I’d say I was paying attention more to the [defensive] line more than anything else. The defense balled out, it’s always great watching your position ball out. Number 39 [Deshawn Holt], 95 [Lawtez Rogers] are numbers I remember. Same with number 3 [Nick Cross].” Saturday also gave Owens a chance to view where he fits in the defense and what he’d be asked to do in the Terps’ defensive scheme. “I saw exactly what coach [Brian] Williams was saying. He was saying I would be in the same position as number 39. Rarely in coverage, sometimes in coverage but rushing that passer. They were rushing it, they put a lot of pressure on that QB so they looked good.”
Owens also got a chance to reconnect with head coach Mike Locksley after the game. “I had a short conversation with coach [Locksley] because you know, he’s a really busy man, but we definitely did touch base. Same with coach [Brian] Williams, coach [Brian] Stewart as well. Picking up where we left off, just catching up really.”
Outside of gaining a firmer grasp of his positional fit, the atmosphere resonated with Owens during his visit. “Not learned anything new but it was definitely good to see all the fans cheering, see when they launched the cannon every time they scored. It was good to see those little things,” he added. “It was exciting, to say the least.”
Maryland is well-positioned for the in-state defensive end, but a decision will not come until he checks out Syracuse, Rutgers, and Penn State for a game this season. “I just want to go and see those schools and atmospheres, too. I just don’t have anything set yet.”
Owens is rated a three-star prospect and an 85 overall by 247Sports, sitting as the 23rd-best player in Maryland.