Top-50 prospect says Maryland’s staff “really fit who I am as a person”

St. Christopher’s (VA) top-50 prospect Darius Gray has become an early coveted prospect in the 2026 class with over 20 verbal offers from the likes of Georgia, Miami (FL), Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas A&M and Tennessee among others while USC became the latest offer.

Gray, a 6-foot-3, 281-pound lineman, has been recruited exclusively on the offensive side of the ball, though where he lines up depends on the school with some eyeing him at tackle, others at guard or center. For now, Gray’s focus this spring has been to check out as many schools as possible with visits completed to Notre Dame, Michigan, Virginia Tech and South Carolina, while Maryland was on his shortlist marking his third visit to campus.

“They’re great. Coach [Latrell] Scott, coach [Brian] Braswell, coach [Mike] Locksley, they’re all great guys,” Gray told IBG. “They really fit who I am as a person. They all have sort of my personality and what I grew up playing ball with, the coaches are just like the coaches I grew up with. Same personalities and everything, so it felt very familiar being with them. My mom loved them.”

Maryland was one of the first schools to offer Gray during his freshman year as Latrell Scott has taken the reigns in his recruitment since, and he returned the favor by trekking through Gray’s school last week with the Terps still on his shortlist.

“That’s one I’m definitely interested in. The coaches is what makes that program much more and I feel in a very familiar setting when I’m at Maryland with them. I have a great time every time I go up there.”

Gray will look to continue his visits into the summer which continues with a trip to Tennessee on June 1 with plans to check out both LSU and Ohio State after.

“I definitely want to visit most of the schools that I have and add on schools. Before you know it, it’s going to be junior year and getting ready to make a decision. I just want to keep taking my time with the process but it’s early so I know I have a lot of time, but not too much time to where I know I need to rush myself.”

After being named first-team All-Prep, All-Metro and All-State as a sophomore, Gray reminded everyone he’s a two-sport athlete after averaging 13 points and eight rebounds for St. Christopher’s basketball.

Darius Gray is rated a four-star prospect and a 92 overall by On3, checking in as the nation’s fourth-best interior offensive line prospect and 42^nd-best overall prospect in the 2026 class.

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