Barring a drastic change of heart, it appears unlikely that Dunbar running back Tavon Austin will stay in Maryland for college.

Austin told Rivals.com's Mike Farrell this week that he’s narrowed his list of schools to three.

“I haven’t taken any official visits lately,” Austin explained. “I went to West Virginia a little while back and that went pretty good. I’m not going to take all five of them.

“I’m taking an official to UNC on November 7, and I think I might make my decision after that. I’m looking at West Virginia, North Carolina and Michigan right now, but I might not make it to Michigan. I’d say West Virginia is leading by a little bit.”

• Maryland remains in good shape with Hoboken, N.J., defensive end Isaac Holmes, who told Scout.com that the Terps are in his top three along with Florida and Pittsburgh

Another team that Holmes said he believes he could play quickly at is Maryland. "They are really getting it together now," he said. "They are playing great and improving every week. They've beat a couple top 25 teams already and it's only getting better."

• Two Maryland commitments will square off this weekend in a battle of unbeatens. C.H. Flowers (7-0) linebacker L.A. Goree and Eleanor Roosevelt (7-0) defensive end Isaiah Ross will meet at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Eleanor Roosevelt.

Flowers has been challenged just once, in a 7-6 victory over Wise on Sept. 27. Otherwise, the Jaguars have had a pretty easy go of it with their wing-T offense led by quarterback Dwayne Powell. Their defense, led by linebackers Lorne Goree (a Maryland recruit) and Brandon Killebrew, has posted four shutouts and allowed just four touchdowns all season. Flowers has yet to trail in a game.

• Quince Orchard cornerback Travis Hawkins suffered a severe ankle injury on Saturday while filling in for the Cougars' injured starting quarterback.

Hawkins then had his left leg rolled up on while plunging into the end zone on a sneak. The bad news was twofold for the red and black; the touchdown was disallowed because of a false start, and Hawkins had to be carted off on a stretcher.

Hawkins had an MRI Monday, and the results were not available at press time. [Quince Orchard head coach Dave] Mencarini said the ankle was not broken, as initially feared, but that Hawkins "will miss the rest of the regular season at least."

• In Mike Farrell’s Weekly Whispers column, the Rivals.com analyst says that Hawkins and his Quince Orchard teammate, defensive end Jason Ankrah, have been impressed with Penn State’s 8-0 start.

Speaking of Penn State, numerous prospects who didn’t have interest in the Nittany Lions suddenly are interested after the team’s awesome start. While Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard defensive end Jason Ankrah has always loved Penn State, teammate Travis Hawkins - a cornerback - once again is showing a lot of interest.

• Raleigh, N.C., linebacker Kendall Moore, a 2010 recruit, picked up an offer recently from the Terps, according to Rivals.com.

Moore has received offers from Maryland, North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest, with the latest coming from the Terrapins.

“I think two Tuesdays ago I received an offer from Maryland,” Moore explained. “It was supposed to be a surprise. Their coach called mine and my coach was going to surprise me with it, but I talked to my friend Demetrius Hartsfield. He went to Maryland last year and he didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to tell me.”

Basketball recruiting

• With Torrington, Conn., center Jordan Williams and Brooklyn, N.Y., power forward James Padgett in the fold, the Maryland coaching staff’s attention turns to Patterson (N.C.) School forward Arsalan Kazemi. According to Zags Blog, Kazemi plans to visit Maryland on Nov. 8. He’s also set to visit Seton Hall and Rice, while many other schools are still trying to get in the mix.

“We’ve had talks with Memphis, Colorado, Cincinnati, Western Kentucky and Virginia Tech,” [Anthony Ibrahim, Kazemi’s adviser] said. “They’re really on us now. All these others are fighting for the visits.”

Ibrahim said it was possible Kazemi could take one or two more visits before the end of the early signing period, which runs Nov. 12-19.

• The Register Citizen, Williams’ hometown newspaper, profiled the 6-foot-9, 245-pounder after he made his commitment to Maryland this week. Williams said UM’s criminal justice program was a major factor in his decision to go with the Terps over St. John’s.

"I was leaning back and forth," Williams said. "I was like, what am I doing? I couldn't turn down the criminal justice program and the division I'll be playing in." Maryland's criminal justice program is No. 1 in the country, Williams said.

• TurtleSportsReport.com's Jeff Ermann caught up with 2010 shooting guard prospect Taran Buie after the Albany, N.Y., product visited College Park for Maryland Madness. Buie said he was impressed by the Terps’ fan support.

There were numerous signs in the stands at Maryland Madness this weekend imploring the 6-foot-3 combo guard to become a Terp and to join fellow junior guard prospect Isaiah Epps in Maryland’s future backcourt. The affable Buie, who chatted and took pictures with some of those students, was flattered.

“That was surprising to me. I was a surprise about how many people knew about me. Some of the signs even had my nickname [Ron-Ron],” he said.

• Two post players that Maryland showed interest in, but ultimately chose not to offer, made their commitments this week. Linden, N.J., center David Bruce offered his pledge to St. Joseph’s, while Baltimore native Andrew Fitzgerald, who’s spending his senior year at Brewster (N.H.) Academy, picked Oklahoma.

Fitzgerald chose the Sooners after being recruited by several Big East schools, Louisville and Pittsburgh among them, as well as the likes of Tennessee and Texas A&M.

Fitzgerald told Scout.com he canceled a visit to Louisville after the Cardinals recently secured a commitment from Indiana prep power forward Stephan Van Treese. That opened the door wider for Jeff Capel, and the Oklahoma coach slammed it shut this weekend.