What I'm Hearing: 2021 Class, Transfer and Standouts
Still in the hunt…the summer recruiting loss of local inside linebacker Greg Penn stung for Maryland and their recruiting efforts. Penn has been a Maryland target heading into his sophomore season through the previous two staffs, while the relationships with the current staff had Maryland sitting comfortable atop his recruitment. A strong surge by LSU down the stretch helped reel Penn to Baton Rouge while former staffer Cory Robinson’s presence in Louisiana helped curb some concerns. While Maryland does not have a strong need at linebacker this cycle, the Terps have maintained contact and there remains buzz locally that the Terps will remain a big player around signing day. Important to note this is buzz locally, not coming out of College Park.
Hemby…All Terrapins recently caught up with the John Carroll running back who looks great physically. 6-foot, 195-pounds who carries good upper body strength with exceptional burst. Hemby has remained diligent with his Monday-through-Friday workouts and got a chance to test his speed in the 40 dash recently. 4.37 and 4.4 time left Hemby feeling great about his development. It wasn’t always clear that the Terps would win out for Hemby—Vanderbilt was a big player here though there was concern about just how long the current staff would remain in Nashville. Duke was a strong player while the offensive fit at West Virginia stood out. Academics were a big part in his evaluation criteria as the Terps hit home there. No reason not to feel excited about where the Terps are headed at running back, but sounds like the Terps remain content with their haul moving forward. Philly running back Tysheem Johnson will announce his commitment later this month as Maryland has kept in touch, but Arizona State has hit home with their targets as the staff’s NFL experience has caught the attention from prospects on the trail.
Standouts…have heard great things on the juco additions so far. That includes Ami Finau, Mosiah Nasili-Kite and Johari Branch. The energy and physical presence have stood out and have heard it’s translated into an uptick in energy in practice. Those key points were exactly what head coach Mike Locksley and the staff wanted outside of the physical upgrade the juco signees bring to the roster. Have also heard great things on Jake Funk as both a leader in the clubhouse and in the running back room. I expect all four scholarship running backs to play a healthy dose in their niche roles, all four do a great job of complementing each other’s games, but Funk’s experience and offseason development could give him the slight edge. Defensively, have heard junior inside linebacker Chance Campbell has stood out and could be someone to watch as a captain.
2021 class…stating the obvious that Maryland has done a great job this cycle addressing key needs. The running back room is now set and full with a balanced attack following the commitment of Roman Hemby, while the four-man haul helps complete the unit overhaul for position coach Mike Miller. Securing one or two more offensive tackles in the 2021 class is a priority while offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery remains selective in their quarterback chase but finding either a grad transfer or transfer portal addition helps balance out the roster with Legendre and Tagovailoa leading the room. Led by Demeioun Robinson and Taizse Johnson, the additions along the front seven help the defense address their undoubted biggest weakness as Maryland builds the size in the trenches. Linebacker is not a top priority moving forward while Maryland keeps their options open in the secondary. Top target De’Jahn Warren came off the board last month following his commitment to Georgia.
OT recruiting…contact with New York tackle Armon Bethea has waned as he has Arkansas, Arizona State and Ole Miss standing out so far while Florida tackle Bruno Zandamela has been hearing sporadically from Maryland. Handful of schools are looking ahead to his first game film as Zandamela will remain in evaluation mode until he’s ready to pull the trigger. Zandamela told All Terrapins over the weekend that he and inside linebackers coach George Helow has kept “quick conversations” between the two, but sounds like the focus could be more on his teammate—Rutgers offensive tackle Albert Reese. Head coach Mike Locksley got on the phone with the 6-foot-7 tackle last week as Ole Miss and Oklahoma State remain in pursuit while Michigan State has joined the mix. Maryland also offered Australian juco tackle Jordan Moko earlier this month as he entertains a long list of suitors, while Maryland got in early for new Independence tackle Brandon Baldwin as he could be on the cusp of additional attention on the trail. The Terps were also after Independence offensive tackle Keegan Vaughan early in the summer but waned contact as he eyed a tour at UAB prior to committing. Sounds like the Terps will look for another tackle, if not two, to pair alongside Missouri offensive tackle Kyle Long.
Monitoring local transfer…Maryland is still involved with Florida State safety Anthony Lytton, but there won’t be any decision in the near future. Lytton is taking online classes at Prince George’s Community College through the first semester and will then take the next steps to go through the process. Maryland has monitored the former Wise standout as the staff hopes to stockpile talent from the PG county powerhouse to join safety Isaiah Hazel. Maryland has prioritized 2022 quarterback Jayden Sauray, made 2021 wide receiver Jalil Farooq a top priority and were the first to offer 2022 defensive end Amar Thomas. Getting Lytton would give Maryland another strong in-state talent, but it’s no guarantee that he ends up in College Park.
