Inside how Maryland football finished strong in the sprint to finalize 2026 recruiting class

Ahmed Ghafir
2 days ago
7 min read

Less than one day after Maryland fell 24-6 at Illinois, athletic director Jim Smith penned a letter in support of head coach Mike Locksley and reaffirmed his commitment to the program, noting “a level playing field requires a level commitment” with a promise to deliver on additional resources ahead of the 2026 season.

“At that point in time, you just had to make sure everybody knew we're confident in where we're going. Make sure all our recruits know that we are the place they want to be,” Smith said on 105.7 days later when explaining the letter.

Fast forward to the end of the early signing period, Smith’s clarity and renewed leadership alignment in College Park helped Maryland become arguably of the biggest winners on day one of the early signing period with five flips and five-star Zion Elee leading the way.

Already roughly one week removed from landing DeMatha (MD) safety Darrell Carey, a former Penn State pledge, Maryland’s final home game of the 2025 season vs. Michigan gave the staff a chance to close on several flip targets over the next two weeks.

IMG Academy (FL) three-star DL Cam Brickle was first to go public coming out of the weekend, announcing his flip from Ohio State to Maryland one day after his second gameday of the season and fourth visit in 2025. The next day, Ashland (OH) three-star QB Nathan Bernhard went public with his flip from Appalachian State to Maryland to give the Terps a signal-caller in the class to restock the unit’s depth in 2025.

“He came very well evaluated and because of the comparable size and athletic ability to that of our starter, Malik, to add a guy like him to our roster, expecting that we will probably lose some guys from that position group,” head coach Mike Locksley said on Wednesday. “He was one of those guys that we had targeted very early that if we were to lose guys in the room that he'd be one of those type of players that we would want.”

The Michigan game also marked a pivotal day for Spalding DB Sean Johnson, who was days removed from an unofficial visit to College Park that fueled his flip efforts.

Johnson committed to Florida State back in April and only took one official visit to the ‘Noles in June before shutting his recruitment down through his senior season. Once Johnson ended his Spalding career as a four-time MIAA champion, the versatile defensive back took the short trip to College Park that he’s taken countless times over the last two years to reconnect with familiar faces, both on the team and coaching staff.

Johnson’s sit-down with the staff fueled him to reconsider.

“I just feel like it got a little bit closer near signing day, to be honest, and I just felt like we built a good relationship,” Johnson told IBG.

While the relationships were well established between the two sides, the flip efforts materialized quickly with a near-three-week span between his unofficial visit and flip announcement.

“I would say just everything they told me about their plan for me, what their goals are, what they’re trying to do with the program. It was more just a sit-down and talk, coach Locksley telling me about keeping kids in the DMV from the DMV.”

Getting feedback from his teammate in the secondary, freshman CB Jayden Shipps, reaffirmed Johnson’s decision to flip to give Maryland at least one commitment out of the MIAA powerhouse in five of the last six recruiting cycles.

“He was just telling me they are going to develop you, just trust and believe and listen to their coaching,” he added.

Johnson admitted he knew a flip would materialize “after the Michigan game” before his mom met with the coaching staff on Nov. 24, cementing a decision that the local three-star told the coaching staff the next day before announcing his flip midway through his family vacation.

The local flip would prove to be the second-to-last after Maryland opened day one of the early signing period with a flip after wide receiver Josiah Teasley flipped his pledge from Virginia, teaming back up with St. James (VA) teammate Jayden Kitchens after gradually warming up on Maryland through the fall.

Teasley committed to Virginia during the summer, but his recruitment was far from settled with several Power Four schools monitoring into his senior year through the fall. Nebraska was in hot pursuit midway through the season while Teasley planned to visit Penn State and followed through on an official to Vanderbilt. Maryland, offering midway through his senior year, worked to prove they weren’t behind the curve with a need to add a second high school wide receiver in the 2026 class and a wide-open room heading into the offseason.

Slowly but surely, Teasley became receptive to Maryland after adding he took “at least five game visits” before getting an in-depth look during his official visit for the Michigan game, a visit that Teasley told IBG put him “50-50” between Maryland and Virginia.

“When I took my OV, it kind of felt like home to be honest,” Teasley told IBG. “I didn’t know when I was at Maryland but I took some time to talk to my family, thought of the good memories I have at Maryland, the good relationships I have at Maryland. It just felt like home and being able to stay home, doing it in front of my family and my hometown, be there with people who supported me from day one in my city is a grateful thing.”

While the fit and need played a hand, so did the relationship between Teasley and assistant WR coach Derek Kief.

“Coach Kief, put all the football hats down, he’s probably one of the closest people I’ve built a relationship with,” Teasley said. “One of the best coaches with a personality. He has the jokes, he has the football seriousness and he played great football.”

Teasley added he called Virginia “around 10 PM” on Tuesday night to formally decommit, then called Maryland to let them know he’s College Park-bound.

“I called Maryland a couple of minutes later and let them know I’m leaning their side. That’s when I decided and then became the first guy to sign, so it’s great.”

Now, Teasley will be part of the solution to Maryland’s 2026 revamped passing attack led by QB Malik Washington.

“It feels good. [Jayden Kitchens] being a slot, me being an outside receiver, we’re going to be a dynamic duo,” Teasley said. “Seeing them throw the ball and sling the ball like that, having a freshman quarterback like Malik Washington and being able to go in next year and get the ball from him is huge.”

Trotwood-Madison (OH) DL Jamarcus Whyce, older brother of 2028 five-star Jameer Whyce, was the final flip of the day after giving Maryland a long at multiple points with at least three trips to campus in 2025. But unlike the other flip commitments, Whyce had not returned to College Park since his official visit in June, a trip that cemented them in the top group alongside Purdue. But the 6-foot-2, 300-pound lineman kept in contact with Kief and defensive GA David Brownlee throughout the process before reaching out to the staff to officially flip his commitment in the final hours.

“It just felt like home. Really ever since I talked to coach Locksley on my visit face-to-face,” Whyce added. “I actually called the coaches [on Tuesday].”

Whyce will head to College Park as one of 11 early enrollees, a group that also includes prized five-star Zion Elee.

The St. Frances (MD) edge put pen to paper almost exactly one year to the day after verbally committing to Maryland, becoming the program’s highest-rated recruit after spurning several SEC schools – at several points throughout his recruitment.

While Penn State then Auburn proved to be the biggest challengers in the first months since his commitment, South Carolina and Texas tried to take a swing at the blue-chipper in October into November with the Gamecocks the last school to host him on an official visit.

But sources told IBG through November that contact between Elee and the Gamecocks fell off after his visit to Columbia, while buzz remained consistent that the five-star was expected to stick with his pledge as Mike Locksley was set to return in 2026.

“For the last couple of weeks, I haven’t really been talking to anybody else. I was in contact with South Carolina and Texas but I dropped them really recently and stayed tight with Maryland,” Elee said during Wednesday’s signing day ceremony at St. Frances.

“I knew Maryland was the spot when I [saw] them beat USC. That was a big factor. The relationship that I had with the coaching staff.”

For Elee, he becomes the latest piece in what could be Maryland’s most dynamic pass rush since the Ralph Friedgen era with the Baltimore native looking to team up with Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis in College Park.

“Really just the fact that it’s at home. I want to support the community so that’s what I plan to do,” Elee said.

“Me and coach Locks, we have a tight relationship. Really just built from us being from the same area. Me being able to talk to him on a different type of level because he can relate to me because he’s from the same area, it just means a lot. I stuck who I’m close to.”

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