Hope everyone was able to relax and enjoy the long holiday weekend. A few notes heading into the week, including a pair of updates in the trenches:
I mentioned on Monday in the forum that Virginia wideout Mekhai White will now officially visit Maryland next weekend, June 9, with camps and 7-on-7 in full swing for this upcoming weekend. Maryland will still welcome Flowers (MD) three-star offensive tackle Mike Williams to campus this weekend for his first official visit as the staff will get a chance to turn the tide. The local three-star had his official visits set heading into June, which proved to be a key reason why the Gamecocks opted to shift directions last week, as Williams kept his recruitment slightly open. There was a point in time where Williams, a 6-foot-5 tackle target, was a candidate to kick off Maryland’s 2024 cycle but after transferring to SFA then Flowers, Maryland began to slide in his recruitment. Flowers begins with a trip to Maryland before visiting Florida and Michigan State and it’s the Spartans who have done a great job in his recruitment as of late and made it known Williams sits high on their board. Williams remains open to the possibility of staying closer to home in college and as offensive line coach Brian Braswell works to chip away in his recruitment, they’ll need to dethrone the Spartans and wow Williams’ mom heading into the upcoming visit to turn the tide.
Another who will officially visit Maryland next month is Phillips (FL) three-star linebacker Jashad Presley, who included the Terps in his top six alongside Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Pitt, Tennessee and Wake Forest. UCF is also heavily involved and will host the 6-foot-2 athlete for an unofficial visit on June 3 with the Knights a possibility for a fall official but Maryland and Georgia Tech are the two primary schools to watch heading into next month. Presley has unofficially visited both schools twice so far with his most recent, but brief, visit to Maryland coming during mid-March while in town for a 7-on-7 tournament. But Presley’s family has a longstanding relationship with outside linebacker coach James Thomas, the primary recruiter, to make the Terps a viable contender. Presley sits as ‘warm’ on the big board as a safety target, though a frame that could develop into an outside linebacker once he works through strength and conditioning in college.
Meanwhile, Maryland made the top three for Coffeyville offensive tackle Kevin Kalonji on Sunday afternoon alongside Houston and South Carolina. The Gamecocks became the newest school to jump into the mix as they’ve joined a host of Power Five programs working to get the 6-foot-6, 330-pound lineman on campus. The Gamecocks are still working on a visit though no date is set, and to make matters more difficult for the Gamecocks, Kalonji is unable to take an official visit next week due to a personal conflict. After taking the weekend to relax following a pair of official visits, Kalonji is still trending towards a decision within the next week with the Terps well-positioned. Maryland has remained in contact since the official visit and remains the school in best position as South Carolina presents itself as the final hurdle.
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