Maryland basketball kicks off its 2023-24 season today, while football remains in a great position with a flip target after an extended visit to College Park. The latest notes: Now two weeks removed from his second official visit to Maryland, all eyes remain on five-star Derik Queen with a decision date still not yet finalized despite the early signing period opening on Wednesday, which runs through Nov. 15th. While the priority target released a top four with Houston and Kansas still publicly in the mix, all the buzz still centers around the same two Big Ten teams: Indiana and Maryland. The Hoosiers have leaned on Mike Woodson’s NBA coaching experience and connections backed by deep NIL pockets, while the Terps have leaned right into the hometown pitch with head coach Kevin Willard active through the close. Outside of that, it’s been eerily quiet with Queen bunkering with his mom and coaches separating his top suitors ahead of a decision date. I still have Queen listed as ‘warm’ on the big board despite the buzz continuing to sit with the Terps as the team to beat since his late October visit. There’s little denying that Queen’s desire to return home has loomed large ever since he first made the move to Montverde (FL) ahead of his junior season, and while the Terps have that tucked in their corner, the familiarity with multiple players adds another level of comfort that resonates with his camp. Maryland has prioritized him frankly ever since Kevin Willard arrived in College Park, and the ties to his camp have remained strong even through the spring coaching transition. NIL has been an emphasis for Willard through the summer to make sure the Terps aren’t flat-footed at the end, and that’s held true with Queen now in the final hour. Maryland will now await whether its longtime pitch that was reinforced just weeks ago ends up outlasting the Hoosiers among others for the Terps’ first 2024 commit. On the football side, two weeks after DC Brian Williams and ILB coach Lance Thompson paid a visit to watch Pitt three-star verbal Jeremiah Marcelin and Maryland three-star verbal Larry Tarver among others in action against Columbus (FL), the Florida duo made their way back to College Park for their second extended stay this season. Despite the loss, Marcelin was able to reconnect with both coaches leading the pursuit while the connection between he and head coach Mike Locksley only adds to the Terps’ fire heading down the stretch. While the result was far from perfect from this weekend, Maryland was able to roll out the red carpet just like they were last month with defensive coordinator Brian Williams looming large with both Marcelin and Tarver. I wouldn’t expect the loss to deter Maryland’s chances. As for what’s next, confidence still sits with Maryland’s ultimate chances of flipping him with Florida State the primary competition. Louisville, who was the third finalist prior to his summer commitment, is also in pursuit of the 6-foot-2 linebacker but Florida State remains the primary competition. The buzz heading into November remains that Marcelin opting to sign with Pittsburgh would be a surprise as the Terps will look ahead to December to close. As for now, Marcelin’s recruitment is at a standstill with Norland set to kickoff the first round of the playoffs this weekend. Expect his recruitment to drag into the early signing period. Related Links Matt Rhule sings high praise for Taulia Tagovailoa, talks limiting Maryland's offense
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