Categories: Recruiting

Priority defensive back talks latest visit, has two officials set

Spalding (MD) three-star safety Jayden Shipps visited 11 over the span of a month, but after a brief break, the priority local target was back on campus as he and four-star QB Malik Washington took in College Park for Saturday’s spring game.

“It’s always a great time up there. I’ve been getting real close with the coaches, just getting to see them again,” Shipps told IBG. “I talked with Lavain [Scruggs] before the game and Kellan [Wyatt] after the game. I definitely wanted to get back up to Maryland, just because I’ve been building something really good with them.”

Saturday marked his second visit to campus this spring after making the short trip in for Maryland’s first practice of spring ball back on March 26. Saturday’s spring game gave Shipps a chance to watch Trader Jr. and the safeties in action, but his previous visit for practice also gave him a chance to sit down and learn how he fits into the Terps’ secondary. Now, Shipps sees a lot of familiarity between what he does at Spalding and what he could do in College Park.

“It’s actually a really good fit and transition because at Spalding, we play five [defensive backs] and Maryland plays five DBs too. The way their guys move is really similar to how we move so style, scheme fit, it definitely feels like it’s a smooth transition at Maryland. I feel like they play very close to how we play too.”

Co-defensive coordinators Brian Williams and Aazaar Abdul-Rahim have led the way through the spring with Williams driving recruiting efforts at Spalding for years now, while Abdul-Rahim has added to a relationship he first built while at Boston College. “Coach [Brian] Williams, coach Aazaar [Abdul-Rahim], those are my guys. I talk with them a lot. I talked with coach Spavital when I was up there in the team house.”

After checking out several ACC and regional schools along with trips to both Tennessee and Michigan State, Shipps is starting to narrow focus with official visit season approaching but Maryland is still on track to be the last school to host him in June.

“I just wanted to get to all these schools and see these places before it’s time to really lock in and commit. I’m going to NC State on June 7 and Maryland on June 21.”

Jayden Shipps is rated a three-star prospect and an 87 overall by On3, sitting as the 21^st-best prospect in Maryland.