Archbishop Spalding (MD) three-star cornerback Mansoor Delane wrapped up a busy month of June as the 6-foot-1, 178-pound prospect took in official visits to Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, and Virginia Tech.
The Hokies were first to host Delane in June as they’ve made a strong attempt to break into recruiting the top prospects in Maryland. “They’ve been reaching out to me since the beginning, so it was cool seeing it in-person and stuff,” Delane told Inside the Black and Gold. The Illini were next as cornerbacks coach Aaron Henry has done well to establish a tight-knit relationship between the two sides. “Really just coach [Brett] Bielema, his reputation at Wisconsin, he’s won the most Big Ten championships in the league so what he can do with that and then coach [Aaron] Henry, we have a great relationship.”
The Gophers hosted Delane last weekend as the visit exceeded expectations. “I didn’t expect it to be like that, but I had a really good time up there. Coach PJ Fleck is a really good guy.” Delane closed out his month with an official to Maryland, marking the third time that the in-state priority made it onto campus.
“It was my third time at Maryland this month but really had a chance to sit down with the coaches and go over film. That was big for me and to sit down and talk with coach Locksley.” The relationships that Delane holds with the Maryland coaching staff may the strongest in his recruitment but learning how he fits into the defensive scheme was beneficial to his outlook on the hometown team. “I wanted to see how I’d be used in their system. They want me as a corner with my length and they said they see me coming in and being an immediate impact for them. They didn’t compare me to anyone on the team but NFL players. They said I’m similar to [Baltimore Ravens cornerback] Marlon Humphry just because of how physical he is and how patient he plays with his technique.”
Safety Beau Brade hosted Delane this weekend as the two friends reconnected. “He played with my older brother for the Columbia Ravens so I’ve known him for a while.” As the two spent ample time together this weekend, Delane wrapped up his visit with an important conversation with head coach Mike Locksley as he explained that the Terps have everything Delane is looking for.
“I’d say just everything that the university has is here. If you don’t want to stay home, it’s far enough from home while staying close at the same time so it was just everything that I needed to discuss with them at Maryland. They said that I’m high on their board and they want to get me on their roster.” Official visits also give prospects an opportunity to corroborate a coach’s recruiting pitch with player feedback, an area that Delane admitted all checked out. “I was talking with the players, and they also made it feel like it was a good place to be, and they felt they made the right decision too.”
With his fourth official complete, Delane will not take any more visits and now has a firm top group.
“I don’t think I’m going to take that fifth official. I’ll probably make a decision in the next couple of weeks. These are my top four schools.” Delane does not have a date for his commitment.
Delane is rated a three-star prospect and an 86 overall by 247Sports, sitting as the 18th-best prospect in Maryland.