Maryland Football: Dwayne Haskins the Quarterback of the Future?
Nov 22, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Maryland Terrapins fans celebrate after the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Maryland won 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The University of Maryland athletic program has taken a huge step in the right direction over the past few months. First, the men’s basketball team went from an NCAA Tournament second-round exit to becoming an early favorite to win next year’s national championship. Now, the football team has made a major move, securing a commitment from four-star Class of 2016 quarterback Dwayne Haskins, Jr.
Maryland’s Gatorade Player of the Year committed to the Terrapins last week and it was a monumental one for the Maryland football program. This is not just your typical commitment. By going to Maryland, Haskins is joining “The Movement,” which is the Terps’ recruiting tactic encouraging the top local talent to come and play for the home state university.
Haskins is a big name on the Maryland high school football scene, and deservedly so. Therefore, he has a great amount of influence and can continue to build steam for this movement. He happens to be very close friends with a number of other big-time local recruits who are currently on the Terps’ radar. Haskins has so much pull that the Maryland coaching staff may not even need to do much. They can sit back and let Haskins and the other in-state commits do all the dirty recruiting work for them.
Haskins definitely has the potential to change the entire complexion of the Terps’ offense when he joins the team. He is a pro-style quarterback, the fifth-best in the class to be specific. He may be that signal-caller that Maryland has been yearning for quite some time now.
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Head coach Randy Edsall has a less than impressive record at Maryland, going just 20-30 during his tenure in College Park. This could turn out to be a career-changing move for Edsall because Haskins was a highly-coveted prospect, drawing interest from some big-time schools, including Alabama, Florida State, and Ohio State.
The coaching staff is very fond of Haskins’ leadership abilities and are hoping that he can help them turn the Maryland football program around. There are high expectations, however, as he’ll be playing in the tougher division of the Big Ten conference.
The football program at Maryland is starting to build something special and Haskins, Jr. is sure to play an integral role in their success in the future. The Terps have found their quarterback and now it’s time to get him some help.
For those who haven’t seen Haskins play, you’re in for a treat. Check out his highlight and imagine this in a Terps uniform in the very near future.