Maryland added a pair of cornerback commitments in June with Tru Prep Academy (FL) three-star cornerback Larry Tarver the first to jump into the fold, beating Flowers three-star Lloyd Irvin by a matter of days. Tarver, a 5-foot-11, 160-pound defensive back, had announced his flip from Florida International to Maryland following his June 23 official visit with defensive coordinator Brian Williams and cornerbacks coach Henry Baker in strong pursuit.
Tarver made a name for himself this spring before pouncing on an offer from Florida International, giving him a chance to work with former Raiders cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke at the next level, but the Power Five attention would come shortly after with schools taking advantage of the spring evaluation period to get their eyes on the three-star prospect. Tarver’s decision to run track is what moved the needle as Brian Williams pulled the trigger on an offer following Tarver’s track practice.
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The gem of South Florida in 2024 is CB Larry Tarver @begreat___4
This kid has ELITE speed – good enough to be invited to the @newbalance track national championships. Has legit 5’11 height now, checks that box. Top notch production (7 INT in 2022) & now is stamped with… pic.twitter.com/EoogZ6490W
— Frank Tucker (@TheCribSouthFLA) June 7, 2023
“He just started track. This was his first year running track. He ran at Carol City, he’s a kid whose pretty fast and a lot of that has to do with the training that we do here,” TRU Prep Academy head coach Mario Smith told IBG. “I’ve been fortunate to coach a couple of guys, Demarcus Van Dyke, Kayvon Webster, those guys. We put them in speed camp and develop them, those guys also ran track with coach Sutton who was on that staff as well. We put a lot of emphasis on speed and he’s someone who had it and put that emphasis in track and it’s helped him tremendously.
Tarver posted a 10.75 in the 100-meter in early June after recording a 10.6 in the 100-meter and 21.5 in the 200-meter earlier this spring, validating his athleticism and potential on the backend. “He has good film but I think just running a 10.6, learning how to run helped him out and put him on the map. Once he put it all together, he stood out.” Tarver’s track performances and all-county selection for track led Maryland, Texas A&M and Louisville to pull triggers on offers before Tarver visited the Aggies then Terps. Louisville continues to push for an official visit, but the trust sits with the Terps and Brian Williams is a big reason why.
“We go back, family friend. Brian Williams is a very good guy. He’s from South Florida, knows the area really well. He put together a good time for Larry, will take care of him. Brian actually knew when we were building the school at one point in time. He’s recruited a few of our guys in the past. Brian got to see him. I told him it’s all about relationships, you want to be around the right people, not your mom but you have to be happy. You’ll have to be the one getting up at 5 AM, it’s a grind. So you want to be around the right people. Brian is the right person.”
As a junior, Tarver was an all-county second team selection while he is set to graduate in December and enroll at Maryland in January.
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