Maryland Terrapins Football Gains Three Local Commitments
Nov 1, 2014; University Park, PA, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Randy Edsall greets running back Wes Brown (4) as he comes off the field against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. Maryland defeated Penn State 20-19. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
In order for a movement to be successful, there has to be people who actually buy into it, and it seems as though high school athletes from the DMV are buying what the Maryland Terrapins football program is selling.
The movement was created to recruit high school athletes from Maryland, D.C., and Virginia to come together and play for their “hometown” school in College Park. This brainchild got jump-started back in 2012 when Maryland reeled in Stefon Diggs, Wes Brown, and Mike Madaras, all highly-touted football prospects out of Good Counsel in Olney, MD. The Terps have also found contributing players such as Damian Prince and Yannick Ngakoue from local high schools.
The movement is gaining more and more steam every year and the current stage of it may be the biggest one yet. A host of top local prospects have already given the Terps verbal commitments, most notably 2015 four-star defensive lineman Adam McLean, who de-committed from B1G rival Penn State. McLean has even taken matters into his own hands to recruit players in the Class of 2016 to join him in College Park.
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Recently, the recruiting efforts of the Maryland football program (and McLean) have paid off once again. Cornerback D’Andre Payne, a former 2014 four-star recruit from Woodson High School in D.C., transferred to Maryland from Tennessee.
As a freshman with the Vols, Payne played in eight games, mostly on special teams. This is a huge pickup for the Terps, because the cornerback position is one that could use an upgrade. Payne also held offers from Florida State, Auburn, Ohio State, and LSU; so there’s no doubt that he can ball.
On Saturday, D.J. Turner, a Class of 2016 wide receiver out of Dematha, committed to Maryland as well. Turner is labeled as an athlete, so it is quite possible that he could suit up as a receiver or defensive back next season. Turner is the second DeMatha player from the Class of 2016 to commit to the Terps, the other being running back Lorenzo Harrison. He could also see plenty of reps in the return game.
Both Turner and Harrison are close friends with other Terps recruiting targets, including teammates WR Tino Ellis and OG Terrance Davis, as well as Bullis quarterback Dwayne Haskins and Avalon receiver Trevon Diggs, the brother of Stefon.
Check out DJ’s highlight tape!
The football team is not the only one at Maryland prospering from the movement. The basketball team also won big, getting a commitment from St. John’s College High point guard Anthony Cowan, Jr., the top 2016 prospect in the state of Maryland.
Cowan grew up in Bowie and has family ties to the school. He is a four-star recruit and rated the No. 62 prospect in the Class of 2016 by Scout.com. Cowan played with Melo Trimble within the D.C. Assault AAU program. The two also battled against one another in high school.
Here’s a sneak peak of what Terps fans can expect from the youngster in years to come.
This is certainly an exciting time to be a Terps fan. With so many talented student-athletes in the area and a fast-growing movement forming, the University of Maryland athletic program has a great opportunity to do something special.
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