The latest premium notes from College Park and the trail…
On the football portal side, I don’t have any set visitors for this weekend yet though we’ll see if that changes over the next 24 hours. While Maryland works on setting up eventual visits with both Arkansas OT Andrew Chamblee and Michigan TE Josh Beetham, Maryland also extended an offer to Texas Southern DT Elinus Noel III on Thursday with a chance to beef up the interior defensive line with a prospect they love with one year of eligibility left. That’s a position that Maryland could look to add instead of another edge in the rotation, and that’s partly due to the combined production of Donnell Brown, Kellan Wyatt and Neeo Avery through the spring.
Brown continues to showcase himself as an NFL-ready talent while Wyatt remains an impact player along the defense. As for Avery, he’s physically ready to contribute as the spring has given him a chance to master the defensive playbook. While Maryland is in the mix for a visit from Noel with Arkansas, Baylor and NC State among the teams in the conversation early, another target I’ve heard that Maryland has kicked the tires on is former UCF defensive back Nikai Martinez, who started in all 13 games for the Knights last season and finished tied for first on the team in INTs (3). Maryland has close ties to some around Martinez, who is coming off a visit to Boston College, but the biggest hurdle for the Terps could be where he fits in. With ample confidence in the starting safety tandem between Glen Miller and Dante Trader Jr., finding a true cornerback remains the preference as Maryland looks to add the final piece to a defense they’re plenty excited about heading into the end of spring ball.
Meanwhile, the team will head to Ballou on Saturday for their second scrimmage of spring ball where the quarterbacks will get a chance to showcase themselves. Billy Edwards Jr. continues to sit slightly ahead of the room, while the spring game will give new QB MJ Morris a chance to showcase himself against the first-team defense. There’s consistent confidence in Cam Edge based on what he’s shown through the spring as he remains squarely in the mix, while Morris will continue to master the playbook as he looks to step in as the eventual starter. But yet again, it’s the defensive side of the ball that’s turned heads through the spring.
On the basketball side, Maryland is rolling after head coach Kevin Willard picked up his fourth portal commitment of the offseason in Tafara Gapare, leaving one vacancy left to fill as of Thursday night. I reported on Wednesday morning that the two sides were back in communication with assistant David Cox picking up the pieces in a pursuit that first began two years ago, but sources told IBG that a visit to campus wasn’t considered a prerequisite for Gapare to land in College Park. West Virginia was also in pursuit of the 6-foot-9 forward, but Gapare had his focus on Maryland over the last week before giving the staff his pledge on Thursday afternoon.
That now leaves one spot for Willard to fill as things currently stand, and all eyes are still on former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian and UC-San Diego guard Bryce Pope.
With a decision expected after his final visit, Pope’s status remains the same as it did in the last update with Maryland still in contact with the veteran guard heading into this weekend’s visit to Florida State. As for Essegian, I’m told that he’s on the cusp of a decision with Maryland still in the mix, but the visits still haven’t ended. After visiting Indiana on Wednesday, Essegian made the trip to Nebraska on Thursday with a possibility that he makes it to Michigan on Friday. The buzz surrounding Indiana’s chances of keeping Essegian in-state picked up after Wednesday’s visit, but his portal process is bouncing back around as several Big Ten programs jockey for position. Maryland shouldn’t have to wait much longer to find out their fate with their recent visitors with the end of roster construction seemingly on the horizon.
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