Juco OT rates Maryland official "nine out of ten"
- Ahmed Ghafir
- Nov 23, 2021
- 2 min read
Maryland’s lone official visitor for the final home game of the season was Iowa Central offensive tackle Max McCree. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound lineman picked up an offer at the beginning of the fall and has kept in touch with the staff heading into the weekend. With Syracuse and Houston in the mix, the Terps held an edge in McCree’s recruitment and they didn’t disappoint.
“It was good and watching them play and meeting the players, I got to see what the gameday atmosphere is like and it was amazing,” he told Inside the Black and Gold. “I got to meet the players and coaches face-to-face and I really enjoyed it.” The outcome of the Michigan game didn’t make a difference in McCree’s outlook because the staff’s plan for him stuck out.
“Everyone kind of knew what was up, just a couple of turnovers and penalties that messed up the momentum of the game but they did tell me why they needed me,” he added. “After this year, they’re going to be thin on the offensive line and they want someone to immediately come in with college experience to compete for a spot.”
A key aspect for McCree was player feedback and with right tackle DJ Glaze as his host, the intel checked out. “It was really good feedback from all the questions I had. The players showed me a really good time.”
McCree rated the official visit a “nine out of ten” as the Terps maintained their edge. “They match up really well. The biggest thing is the coaches and the culture and I know there will be facilities and resources for me wherever I go. They just really showed me that they have good coaches, good players, and a great culture.” McCree said he spent the bulk of his time with offensive line coach Brian Braswell as the two have built a strong connection in the months leading into this weekend. “The impression I got is he’s a really good coach that knows the game really well. I like him as a person and he seems like a coach that I can play for.”
Head coach Mike Locksley was able to get the final word in.
“He just told me that he really wanted me and my future can be bright there. He really let me know I was wanted there.”
McCree wasn’t planning on making a commitment and that plan still holds true, but there’s no doubt who leads in his recruitment after this weekend.
“Oh yeah. They’re really my number one school. I’m really liking them. Just really talking to the coaches there. I liked what they talked about. They just have a culture and a game plan that I can really buy into.”
McCree officially visited Syracuse the weekend of June 25 and will officially visit Houston the weekend of December 11. McCree will sign during the early signing period and enroll at the school of his choice in January.
McCree is rated a three-star prospect and an 81 overall by 247Sports, sitting as the seventh-best juco offensive tackle in the country.
