Sidwell Friends targets give Maryland men's & women's basketball good news

Ahmed Ghafir
Aug 9
2 min read

Sidwell Friends (DC) proved to be kind to Maryland women’s and men’s basketball on Saturday after a pair of targets announced the next step in their recruitments:

Five-star commit for Brenda Frese…Head coach Brenda Frese has maintained momentum on the recruiting trail all summer after adding several impact transfers to the 2025-26 roster, but arguably the biggest news came on Saturday morning after landing Sidwell Friends (DC) five-star forward Jordyn Jackson

Jackson becomes the first commitment in Maryland’s 2026 class after opting to stay home over finalists Alabama, Miami (FL), Ohio State, South Carolina and TCU.

"I chose Maryland because I believe coach [Brenda] Frese and the program will help me fulfill my long-term and short-term goals -- like winning a national championship and freshman of the year," Jackson told ESPN, who compared the local star to Maryland guard Kaylene Smikle. "Their offensive style also aligns with mine, and I believe Coach Frese has proven that players with my playing style and position thrive in their program."

Jackson serves as the latest win on the recruiting trail for Frese after averaging 15 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists at the Nike Nationals in Chicago last month. Jackson also starred for Team Durant on the summer circuit, though she’s set to close out her high school career at the St. James Academy, following head coach Tamika Dudley to the new local prep school.

ESPN: Maryland plays an up-tempo and aggressive scoring style. ESPN recently compared Jackson to Maryland's Kaylene Smikle because of their similar size, build and scoring ability. Smikle will graduate this school year, so Jackson can step right in to fill that void in 2026-27. She will fit nicely with returners Kyndal Walker (PG), Oluchi Okananwa (G) and shooter Rainey Welson (G). Jackson is also Maryland's first commit of the 2026 class, so coach Brenda Frese will now look to bolster the interior, and perhaps the right combo type of guard to complement those players.

Local priority includes Maryland in top group…on the men’s side, Maryland made the cut for another target out of Sidwell Friends (DC) in three-star Jalyn Collingwood, who is down to Butler, Maryland, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Texas Tech and Vanderbilt.

Collingwood, a 6-foot-5 forward, has five official visits set for the fall with Mississippi State on September 12, Ohio State on September 26, Michigan State on October 3, Texas Tech on October 11 and Vanderbilt on October 17.

After extending an offer last month, Collingwood made his way to College Park for an unofficial visit in late July alongside his coach with his mom joining him for the end of the visit, giving him his first glimpse into the program now run by head coach Buzz Williams. Maryland is expected to host Collingwood for a visit, whether an official visit or simply an extended unofficial visit, with the Terps cemented among his top contenders.

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