Report: Terps land Georgia athlete
In the case of Carver High quarterback Devin Burns, Georgia's loss was apparently Maryland's gain.
According to the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer, Burns committed to Maryland on Saturday.
Burns led Carver to the state semifinals last season, completing 55-of-85 passes for 736 yards and eight touchdowns. He also ran for 363 yards on 68 carries with two touchdowns.
Burns was offered a scholarship by Georgia in the spring, but on the day he intended to commit, the Bulldogs rescinded their offer. Carver coach Dell McGee subsequently banned Georgia coaches from recruiting at the school.
Burns, 6 feet 2, 172 pounds, is rated a three-star prospect and the No. 76 player in Georgia by Rivals.com, while Scout.com ranks him the No. 31 quarterback in the country.
Burns, who chose the Terps over offers from Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Louisville, Southern Miss and several others, is the 14th commitment of Maryland’s 2010 recruiting class.
Check back with Recruiting Report later this week for more on Burns’ decision.
Comments
Matt, Judging from his stats, Burns looks like a good, though not great, prospect. Of course, you never know how they're going to do in college: A kid with a "can't miss" label can lay an egg, while another lesser recruited player can blossom in the right system.
Not very many top schools went after him, but that's sort of par for the course when it comes to Terp recruits, who usually are competing with middling colleges for a commitment. Then again, Louisville isn't quite Liberty, either.
The Rivals.com link for him that you provide describes his commitment to Maryland as "solid verbal." Could you please explain what separates a solid verbal from other verbals, and how strong is it in terms of the chances he'll end up playing for the Terps. He could back out, I assume. Thanks.
Posted by: Ken Francis | August 3, 2009 2:37 AM
Ken -- Rivals generally lists kids as "solid" verbals or "soft" verbals. A "solid" verbal is someone who is unlikely to back out of his commitment. A "soft" verbal is usually someone who has made a commitment, but still intends to make visits to other schools. Sometimes a soft verbal will say things like, "I'm committed to School A right now, but I also like Schools B, C and D and will give them a shot." Commitments are non-binding, and even kids who are termed solid verbals have been known to back out, but that classification is just Rivals' way of differentiating between commitments.
Posted by: Matt Bracken | August 3, 2009 9:02 AM