Maryland Football: An Early Look at the 2017 Recruiting Class

The Maryland Terrapins’ 2017 recruiting class is shaping up to be one of the best in the country.

Since being hired as the new head football coach at the University of Maryland last December, D.J. Durkin has been working tirelessly to rebuild the Terps football program. It started with him building a dream team of sorts that would work in their favor on the recruiting trail — Mike London, Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, Walt Bell, and Andy Buh. The program took a bit of a hit with the new hires, with the exodus of their top recruits from the Class of 2016 — Dwayne Haskins Jr. and Keandre Jones to Ohio State. However, they have bounced back in a major way. Here’s a look at who the Maryland football staff has already reeled in from the Class of 2017.

Who’s Committed?

4-Star DE Joshua Kaindoh | IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)

Kaindoh is a local kid, who transferred to play high school ball as one of the most well-respected programs in the nation at IMG Academy. He is the best recruit the Terps have landed thus far, rated the No. 30 prospect and No. 2 strong-side defensive end by the 247Sports Composite.

Also Considered: Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama

4-Star DT Cam Spence | St. John’s College HS (Washington D.C.)

Spence is a player who has really been on the move. He started his high school career at Gilman, then transferred to IMG Academy, where he played with Kaindoh. Now, he’s transferred to St. John’s, where he’s teaming up again with another Maryland commit. Spence is the No. 19 defensive tackle and the No. 2 overall player in the district.

4-Star QB Kasim Hill | St. John’s College HS (Washington D.C.)

Hill is yet another area product, who played at Gilman School before transferring to St. John’s. He is rated as the top overall prospect in Maryland and the 12th-rated pro-style quarterback in the class. Hopefully, he doesn’t pull a Haskins move and de-commit because quarterback is a position of need for the Terps.

Also Considered: Syracuse, Penn State, Michigan State, North Carolina

4-Star OT Jordan McNair | McDonough School (Owings Mills, MD)

The Terps’ offensive line could definitely use some bolstering, so McNair was a huge pickup, both figuratively and literally. He is ranked as the 31st-best offensive tackle in the country and a Top-10 overall player in the state.

Also Considered: Alabama, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Duke

4-Star CB Deon Jones | Potomac (Oxon Hill, MD)

Coach Abdul-Rahim had been working on getting Jones to College Park since the moment he was hired so this has to feel good. Jones is the third-best prospect in the state of Maryland, according to 247Sports and is the No. 14 cornerback.

Also Considered: Clemson, Auburn, Ohio State, Georgia

3-Star OLB Ayinde Eley | Good Counsel (Olney, MD)

Maryland really appeared to be the best choice for Eley from the jump. He’s from the area and ultimately wanted to stay home. He is rated as the No. 23 outside linebacker in the class. Eley hasn’t received much recognition, but his athleticism makes him a versatile football player.

Also Considered: Penn State, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Iowa

3-Star RB Javon Leake | Page (Greensboro, NC)

According to 247Sports, Leake is the No. 6 all-purpose back in the nation and the 17th-best player in the state of North Carolina. New offensive coordinator Walt Bell loves to run the football, so Leake should be pretty excited about his decision.

Also Considered: North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Nebraska

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3-Star CB Fofie Bazzie | Quince Orchard (Gaithersburg, MD)

Bazzie wasn’t highly recruiting, but he came on pretty strong as a junior. He’s a ball-hawk and that’s just what Maryland needs to add to its defense. It helps that he played wide receiver as well. He’ll most likely start out as a special teams player.

Also Considered: Iowa State, Old Dominion

3-Star RB Tayon Fleet-Davis | Potomac (Oxon Hill, MD)

Fleet-Davis is one of the more recent Maryland commits. He’s another local kid, who has the potential to be an every-down back in this offense. He and Leake should be a solid duo for years to come.

Also Considered: Indiana, West Virginia

3-Star WR Sean Nelson | Langston Hughes (Fairburn, GA)

Nelson was the Terps’ first commitment from the South, which shows the reach that this coaching staff has. He wasn’t highly touted, so he’s really an under the radar prospect. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets to see the field in Year 1 or if he’ll have to redshirt.

Also Considered: Minnesota, South Alabama

3-Star WR Carlos Carriere | Alpharetta (Alpharetta, GA)

Carriere was a very underrated commitment for Maryland. He adds some much needed length to the receiving corps, standing 6-foot-5. He has the potential to be a big-time playmaker for the Terps.

Also Considered: Tulane, Southern Miss
3-Star TE Andrew Park | Lake Braddock (Burke, VA)

Park is the lone tight end commit in the class thus far, but he should get some good looks, as Maryland hasn’t had a legit player at that position for quite some time. He’s a big body, so expect the Terps to really try to use that to their advantage.

Also Considered: Temple, Pittsburgh

3-Star OL Johnny Jordan | Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)

Jordan is their most recent commit, and although he wasn’t a big-time recruit, there were plenty of programs who wanted him. He can play both guard and center, which is the versatility that Maryland’s offensive line so desperately needs.

Also Considered: North Carolina, Virginia Tech

3-Star WR MJ Jarrell | Timber Creek (Orlando, FL)

Jarrell looks like he could be a pretty reliable possession receiver for Maryland. The Terps have done a solid job of bringing in receivers, as that unit has lots of room for improvement.

Also Considered: South Carolina

Who’s Left?

4-Star RB Anthony McFarland Jr. | DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD)

4-Star OLB Jordan Anthony | IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)

4-Star OLB Nathan Proctor | Henry E. Lackey (Indian Head, MD)

4-Star OT Marcus Minor | DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD)

4-Star WR Tahj Capehart | Bishop Sullivan Catholic (Virginia Beach, VA)

4-Star DE Joshua Paschal | Good Counsel (Olney, MD)

3-Star CB Tariq Castro-Fields | Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, MD)

3-Star DE Tyree Johnson | St. John’s College HS (Washington D.C.)

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