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Maryland Football: D.J. Durkin Must Gain Trust of Local Recruits

By Brandon Austin

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Nov 22, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels during the first quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

How will the Durkin hire affect recruiting at Maryland?

After tons of speculation around the Maryland Terrapins football head coaching job, athletic director Kevin Anderson finally found his guy: Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin. Maryland chose Durkin over offensive coordinator and interim head coach Mike Locksley. While it doesn’t necessarily seem like a big deal, this decision could ultimately alter the recruiting landscape in College Park.

One of the major reasons why Locksley was not offered a permanent head coaching gig with the Terps is because of his lackluster record as a head coach. In two and a quarter seasons at New Mexico and six games as the head coach at Maryland, Locksley’s coaching record is 3-31. No, that’s not a typo. When considering that horrendous track record as a head coach, it’s no wonder the program decided to move in a different direction.

However, the one reason why Maryland has kept Locksley around so long is his recruiting efforts in the DMV area. It hasn’t been any more prevalent than it is now. With the help of Locksley, the Terps were able to land two 4-star recruits from the area in the Class of 2015 and four 4-star recruits in the Class of 2016, including quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr.

There have recently been reports that Locksley will likely not return to Maryland next season. If that becomes the case, the pressure will be even greater for Durkin. Locksley has a great reputation in the DMV and it has reflected in his recruiting success over the past few years. Durkin has a great reputation of his own, however. He was named the 2012 Recruiter of the Year by Rivals.

These next couple of weeks/months will be absolutely crucial for Durkin and the Terps. Many believe that it will be difficult to retain commits like Haskins and linebacker Keandre Jones, both of whom have built strong relationships with Locksley. While that may be the case, Maryland clearly hired Durkin for a reason. He’s helped Florida and Michigan land some big-time prospects and the expectation won’t be anything less in College Park.

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We will get the opportunity to see what Durkin is really made of as he’ll be competing for recruits with perennial Big Ten powers like Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. It won’t be easy, but he must get it done.

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