Maryland is sprinting toward the early signing period with 20 verbal commits in the 2024 high school class, along with three public commitments from portal targets. They’re not done, though, as we dive into the latest on where things stand. A couple of portal OL targets off the board this evening, both guys I mentioned this AM with imminent timeframes: Murray State RT DJ Jones to UAB, IU center Zach Carpenter to Miami (FL). Maryland laid it all out with Carpenter and had an excellent visit, but with the ‘Canes getting the last visit and having a clear-cut starting spot to offer, beating Miami immediately after the visit was going to be tough, especially with NIL helping to tip the scale in the end. Elsewhere, I continue to hear that Maryland is making it a battle for IMG Academy (FL) five-star OL and Colorado verbal Jordan Seaton heading into Tuesday with the DMV native firmly entrenched as ‘warm’ on the big board. This battle is personal for Locksley and there's steady confidence in Maryland's chances heading into Tuesday. It sounds like Arkansas verbal Keyshawn Blackstock is still in the picture, but I’m not as confident on that down the stretch with NIL playing such a pivotal role in his recruitment. I do still love where the Terps sit with former Georgia IOL Aliou Bah heading into Tuesday after the former IMG Academy lineman officially visited beginning last Thursday. On the high school side, St. Frances (MD) three-star IOL Logan Bennett looks likely to announce his final destination on signing day as Maryland remains well-positioned, as they have over the last five weeks. While Maryland was immediately in the mix, then on the outside-looking-in, I'm hearing that Maryland is making a very strong run at Penn State verbal and D2 OT Alan Herron, who was a quiet visitor over the weekend as head coach Mike Locksley was able to make his pitch. There’s a level of confidence in Maryland’s chances of pulling off the eventual Big Ten flip, but as of Monday evening, all eyes are on Jordan Seaton as Maryland works the close on their top overall target. I mentioned in the DB buzz thread on Monday evening that Maryland is fighting an uphill battle with CB Larry Tarver as they primarily challenge Nebraska here. Louisville is also involved, but Nebraska is the primary challenger for Tarver with confidence high out of Lincoln heading into Monday evening. The status of Pitt verbal Jeremiah Marcelin is up in the air heading into the final day, but a source told IBG on Monday evening that there’s still a realistic chance that Marcelin could flip to Maryland even if Tarver heads to Nebraska. It seems unlikely heading into Tuesday, but Louisville could be the ultimate landing spot if the Norland (FL) duo do opt to play together. I still love where Maryland sits with South Carolina verbal Braydon Lee down the stretch, and there’s even been local chatter that the Terps are closing in on the in-state flip. Meanwhile, Michigan still has the upper-hand with local edge Lugard Edokpayi as Maryland has surged down the stretch as the top competition, but this remains a battle heading into Tuesday with confidence high in Ann Arbor on their chances with the strength of Michigan's academics among the factors sticking out. Meanwhile, I don’t see Maryland as the likely spot for either four-star DL Ernest Willor or DL Cam Jones with Wisconsin and Temple in a position to land their pledges. Aside from Tarver's status heading into Tuesday, Maryland's remaining current 20-man class holds strong as the staff has done well fending off other schools for some of their commits. Despite interest from Auburn and Penn State, Terez Davis showed minimal signs of wavering despite some pressure from the Nittany Lions. Penn State was also a factor in trying to change Brandon Jacob's mind, while Missouri was on the trail and Miami (FL) lurked, but the four-star safety has both publicly and privately reaffirmed his pledge. Wide receiver Mekhai White, who kept an open door with multiple programs with Virginia and Arkansas the two latest programs, has shut his recruitment down and is set to put pen to paper with Maryland on Wednesday. There's steady confidence in Maryland's chances of closing its 2024 class now one day away from its long list of commits and targets set to make their decisions official. After making splashes in past recruiting cycles, there's growing confidence that Maryland is putting the pieces together for a chance to send shockwaves on Wednesday once again. https://twitter.com/CoachLocks/status/1736918834311803328 Related Links Maryland vs. Nicholls: TV, radio & game previewMaryland football film breakdown: QB MJ MorrisWhere Maryland football recruiting stands heading into early signing period (+) Four-star local linebacker talks latest visit to Maryland (+)ACC cornerback returns to Maryland for official visit, talks timeline (+)
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