The big story of the past week comes from TurtleSportsReport.com, which broke the news of Chicago center Steve Goins‘ “semi-official” commitment to Maryland. From TSR’s article:

“They’ve been consistent [in their attention]. They’ve been calling a lot. I talked to coach Williams a bunch of times. They’ve been helping me get qualified. I’ll qualify next week and then it will be official and I’ll be all set,” Goins said. “I always hear about Maryland and they’re in a great conference. I visited last month and saw they also offer a lot in terms of academics and their art program, which is what I want to major in.

I e-mailed Roy and Harv Schmidt, the editors and publishers of Illinois Prep Bulls-eye, for their take on Goins’ situation. The Schmidts, who also blog about Illinois high school basketball for the Chicago Sun-Times, said an academic hurdle must be jumped before the commitment becomes official.

Our understanding is that while Goins would very much like to attend Maryland, the commitment is not etched in stone as of yet. Apparently the problem seems to be with awaiting for the results of his grades from the summer school classes that he recently finished taking. These will be essential with respect to him being able to meet the minimum g.p.a. that will be needed in order for the commitment to go through. Provided he gets the necessary grades, then we expect everything to hold up.

• The other major piece of news in Terps basketball recruiting this week comes from The Sun‘s Don Markus. Markus spoke with Kathleen Worthington, Maryland's senior associate athletic director, about the academic status of St. Frances shooting guard Sean Mosley. Worthington told Markus that Maryland is “confident that [Mosley] is going to qualify.”

There was some doubt this spring whether Mosley would qualify, but according to Worthington, he raised his test scores enough and is waiting for his transcript to be sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse after retaking a high school English class this summer.

If he is approved by the NCAA, Mosley would have his scores and transcript reviewed by the university's admissions office.

If Mosley and Goins both qualify, and Jin Soo Kim reclassifies from 2009 to 2008, Maryland will have 12 scholarship players on its roster for the 2008-09 season.

Football recruiting

• The Terps landed one four-star defensive lineman yesterday when Forestville’s DeOnte Arnett committed. Now it appears they’re in good shape with another -- Hoboken, N.J., defensive tackle Isaac Holmes, who told Yahoo! Sports that Maryland and Rutgers are “neck and neck.”

“I went to Maryland last Monday and I’m heading back there with my team on Thursday,” he stated. “Actually, I love it at Maryland. They have been recruiting me since my freshman year in high school. I love it there, my cousin plays there and the coaching staff shows me a lot of love. Maryland is a big school in the race.

“Plus, I’m looking at criminal justice and they are right next to Washington D.C. That’s the main place for all that stuff. I also believe I have a real good chance of playing early as a true freshman.”

• Maryland was a finalist for Pennsburg, Pa., cornerback Abdul Smith, but earlier this week he committed to Rutgers.

The 6-0, 182-pound Smith chose Rutgers over 22 other schools. He said the finalists were Maryland, Pittsburgh and the Scarlet Knights.

"They laid out everything, how things would be for me and the rest of the team," Smith said. "I also liked that my position coach (Chris Hewitt) would be a guy who played in the NFL. That was a big thing for me."

• Jefferson Hills, Pa., offensive lineman Pat Eger pledged to West Virginia one week ago.

The 6-foot-6, 265-pound senior picked the Mountaineers over Buffalo, Marshall, Maryland and Miami (Ohio).

"They're a top-10 school every year," Eger said of West Virginia. "The coaches, players, the school, the facilities, I just fell in love with everything about it."

• Dartmouth, Mass., tight end Arthur Fontaine is no longer a Boston College commitment, but he’s still considering the Eagles, and several other schools.

Even though Fontaine de-committed to Boston College, there is a good chance he still could end up there because of its closeness to his home. In addition to Florida, Fontaine also checked out Georgia, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia and Maryland. Boston College, Georgia and North Carolina appear to be his top three choices.

• Maryland linebacker commitment Bradley Johnson was profiled in The [Petersburg, Va.] Progress-Index this week. He told the local paper that his relationship with Terps head coach Ralph Friedgen was a deciding factor.

“I liked the campus and facilities and the area around Maryland,” he explained. “The main reason for me was when I talked to Coach Friedgen. I sat down with him both times and he talked about my future and after I finish college. He talked about my career goals and how he can help me in that process. He went into detail about all the ways he can help me.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Maryland’s summer football camp was in full swing this week, while the second session is set to kick off Monday.

Yahoo! Sports caught up with three prospects that mentioned the possibility of camping in College Park:

No. 1: Christian Kuntz, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound wide receiver from Camp Hill (Pa.) Trinity.

“My dad went to college and played at Maryland,” he said. “I’ve always had a thing for Maryland and grew up watching Notre Dame a lot too. Right now out of all the schools recruiting me though, UConn is on top.

“I am hearing from them, Notre Dame and Maryland. I’m looking at heading to a few more camps, Penn State Tuesday, Maryland Thursday, Virginia next Monday and Notre Dame at the end of June. They are all recruiting me heavily.”

No. 2: Brian Leffler, a 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker from The Hun School in Princeton, N.J.

“I have offers from Temple, Tulane and West Virginia,” he said. “Miami (Ohio), Army, William & Mary and Yale have offered. Yale offered me a spot on the team.

“Temple was fun, it was good to be on campus,” he said. “I’m going to take a visit to West Virginia sometime this month or in July. I’m going to camp at Northwestern and I might camp at Maryland and Rutgers too.

No. 3: Byron Parker, a 5-foot-11, 173-pound athlete recruit from Virginia Beach (Va.) Tallwood.

“I got my second offer last week from Temple on Tuesday,” he said. “I’m planning to go up there for camp this weekend and then to Maryland on Monday. I don’t know where I’m going after that.”

• The Gazette took a look at Montgomery County’s numerous DI football prospects, including Maryland targets Jason Ankrah, a defensive end from Quince Orchard, Travis Hawkins, a cornerback from Quince Orchard, Jelani Jenkins, a linebacker from Good Counsel and Caleb Porzel, a running back from Good Counsel. The story also mentions Terps safety commitment Avery Graham, who is completely sold on UM.

Clarksburg coach Larry Hurd on Graham: ‘‘Everybody has said they’d offer him. You name it, they’ve wanted to see him. I mean, look at him. ... Avery has been clear with everyone: He’s a Terp, and he’s going to be a Terp.”

• GoGamecocks.com offers its weekly look at South Carolina football targets. Per usual, several prospects with varying degrees of interest from Maryland are mentioned, including Blythewood, S.C., defensive end Justin Anderson, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., linebacker Matt Coffee and Roswell, Ga., defensive end Euclid Cummings. Anderson planned on coming to College Park for camp.

Blythewood coach Geremy Saitz said Anderson has offers from Georgia Southern, Newberry and Presbyterian, and verbal offers from Maryland and Georgia Tech. Anderson visited Georgia Tech about a month ago and plans to camp at Maryland and Virginia Tech.

• Terps offensive tackle signee R.J. Dill held his own in last weekend’s Pennsylvania-Ohio Big 33 game, according to The [Cumberland County, Pa.] Sentinel.

“(Those early points) were a big difference,” said Trinity offensive lineman R.J. Dill, who stifled an Ohio pass rush on the strong side, giving Sunseri enough time to find Aliquippa wideout Jonathan Baldwin for a 37-yard pass on Pennsylvania’s first offensive play of the game. “Guys like (Baldwin) made big plays for us, that helps.”

• Ending with one non-recruiting related link, Rivals.com college football writer Tom Dienhart identified five new offensive coordinators that enter pressure-filled situations this fall. New Terps offensive coordinator James Franklin was one of the five.

Maryland ranked 93rd in total offense in 2007, the season Franklin’s K-State offense became the first in school history to boast a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,500-yard receiver and a 1,000-yard rusher. Franklin, 36, faces the pressure of trying to sort out a muddled quarterback picture plus deal with the loss of two good running backs in Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Before joining the Maryland women’s basketball team later this summer, Terps center signee Lynetta Kizer has business to attend to -- namely representing her country.

Kizer was one of 12 players in the country to earn a roster spot on the U.S. Under-18 Women’s Basketball National Team, USA Basketball announced earlier this week. She will suit up for the U.S. women’s team in its 2008 FIBA Americas zone qualifier July 23-27 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

"It's an honor. I can't stop smiling," said Lynetta Kizer, who hails from Woodbridge, Va., when asked what it meant to make the U.S. team. "... It's an honor to have the opportunity to go out there and to follow in the footsteps of all those [great] players that came before us and to represent the USA."

• The country‘s top-ranked player for the class of 2009, Sugar Land, Texas center Kelsey Bone, told The Connecticut Post she “hopes to narrow her list of schools to seven to 10 by month's end.”

Bone said she is "very interested" in UConn and Tennessee at this point. She also has interest in Maryland, Texas, Rutgers, Oklahoma, Illinois, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Bone averaged 18.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in leading Dulles High to a 34-5 record and a trip to the state Class 5A Region III semifinals last season.

Men’s basketball recruiting

• CSTV.com is impressed with UM shooting guard signee Sean Mosley, but less than enthused about the Terps’ one-man ‘08 class, ranking it the No. 12 group in the ACC.

Overview: Recently loss 6-foot-10 transfer Augustus Gilchrist who was released from scholarship after being unable to regain his full four years of eligibility and recent signee 6-foot-3 juco Tyree Evans who opted out after negative reports surfaced on his past brushes with the authorities. Biggest losses appear to be inside in 6-foot-9 James Gist and 6-foot-8 Bambale Osby, so loss of Gilchrist really hurt. Terps hope Braxton Dupree or a late signee can help fill that void next fall. Look for signee Mosley to add some instant offense off the bench.

• Andre Dawkins, a 2010 shooting guard, remains a high priority for Maryland. The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer notes that the Terps are putting in a lot of early effort.

According to Scout.com, Maryland and Clemson are the two schools recruiting Dawkins the hardest with Duke, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest also in pursuit. Dawkins, from Virginia Beach, Va., grew up as a Duke fan but has said that won’t play a major role in his college decision.

Football recruiting

• The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer caught up with new Terps quarterback commitment Danny O’Brien this week, and gave credit to UM tight ends coach Danny Pearman for his role in O’Brien’s recruitment.

Pearman played an instrumental role for Maryland in gaining the commitment from O’Brien. He’s a well-known and well-liked figure among many North Carolina high school coaches. Although he’s in just his first season with Maryland, Pearman has recruited the Tar Heel state for years, first for eight seasons as an assistant at Virginia Tech, then the last two while working at North Carolina and Duke.

• Pennsburg, Pa., cornerback Abdul Smith told Scout.com this week that Maryland is his early favorite.

"Maryland always seem to go to bowl games," he said. "And they need defensive backs, so it would be a good opportunity to play early."

Another plus for the Terps is their location. Smith attends boarding school in Pennsylvania, but lives in New Jersey (about one and half hours away) with his dad. His mom, however, lives in North Carolina. "Maryland is pretty much right in between my mom and my dad," he said.

• Maryland offensive tackle signee R.J. Dill will suit up for Pennsylvania this weekend in the Big 33 All-Star game against Ohio. PennLive.com previews the Pennsylvanians.

RJ Dill, Camp Hill Trinity HS - Dill, a 285-pound monster on the line, helped pave the way for a 12-0 start to Trinity's 2007 season. The Shamrocks finished as District 3 "AA" runners-up last season.

• The Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens says the news of Pha’Terrell Washington’s academic ineligibility will likely open the door for one of Maryland’s two running back signees to receive early playing time.

With Washington out of the tailback equation, it's a virtual certainty that the first true freshman Ralph will mention when asked about playing time will be either Gary Douglas or Davin Meggett. Those two are expected to join sophomores Da'Rel Scott and Morgan Green as the Terrapins' only scholarship tailbacks next season.

• Penn State’s had a solid start to recruiting this year, most notably in the state of Maryland. The Philadelphia Inquirer took a look at the Nittany Lions’ approach to recruiting -- specifically in handling “the Paterno issue.”

Defensive-line coach Larry Johnson, one of the team's best recruiters, has been partly responsible for eight commitments, with most of the players from Maryland. According to several, Johnson has assured them that Paterno's successor will be in-house.

"He said [Paterno's] going to coach for as long as he can," said Derrick Thomas, a cornerback from Greenbelt, Md. "If this year would happen to be his last, someone on the staff would get the head coaching job."

• Tuscarora cornerback Dominic Clarke, who sported a Terps offer, committed to Ohio State on Sunday.

"Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever think I would be playing football at Ohio State," Clarke, who was recruited as a cornerback, said on Monday. "I didn't used to have a favorite college football team, but I do now."

• WashingtonPost.com’s latest Recruiting Spotlight video looks at Woodbridge, Va., running back De'Antwan Williams, who claims offers from Maryland, Alabama, Boston College, Rutgers, Virginia and West Virginia, according to the Post. Click here to see the video.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Maryland picked up its third verbal commitment for the 2009 football recruiting class yesterday when Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth quarterback Danny O’Brien pledged to UM.

The commitment came after O’Brien, his mother, stepfather and coach, Todd Willert, made the five-and-a-half hour trip from Kernersville to College Park earlier this week. On the car ride home, Willert could tell that O’Brien was impressed with what the Terps had to offer.

“Obviously, we had a lot of time to talk about things,” Willert said. “He felt really good. It was the first time his mom and step-dad were on campus. They really fell in love with it, which helped Danny in being more decisive. He wanted his mom to see the school before he committed. On the way back, I could tell. We sat in the back seat, and I just told him to go and enjoy it and sleep on it a little. Then he came back and said he wanted to be a Terp, so that’s the direction he wanted to go.”

Willert said, O’Brien, 6-foot-3 ½, 200 pounds, is a solid runner, but he’s primarily a drop-back passer.

“He is a pass-first guy, but he’s very athletic,” Willert said. “He’s an all-conference basketball player. He can dunk a basketball any which way you want him to. It’s not that he can’t be a running quarterback, but he chooses to throw first. He’s not a big kid that can’t escape. He’s got some good athletic ability.”

O’Brien, who became UM’s second quarterback commitment for ’09, joining Seneca Valley, Pa.’s C.J. Brown, considered a few in-state schools. Ultimately, Duke was Maryland’s biggest competition for O’Brien’s services.

“He had offers from ECU and Duke also,” Willert said. “U.Va. and Wake Forest had come into the picture also. He was thinking about going on a visit to Wake Forest this week. They had a camp on Sunday. But it truly came down to Duke and Maryland. Those were the two choices. He just feels really good about Maryland and feels really good about the situation, with some of the young players they have right now and the possibility of coming in and playing early. [UM offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach James] Franklin and [tight ends coach Danny] Pearman are great guys. I feel really comfortable having one of my players there -- not that five-and-a-half hours is a really long way away -- but you want [the player to feel comfortable]. And I know coach Franklin and coach Pearman will do a great job with him.”

Check back with Recruiting Report early next week for more on O’Brien.

• The Terps remain in good shape with Loyola safety Terence Garvin, according to Garvin’s father in this Yahoo! Sports article.

“Maryland is very impressive,” his father said. “I know he was very impressed with Maryland. We love the opportunity with them. Coach Friedgen was great and they are very high on our list.

“We haven’t been to West Virginia. It’s very intriguing with the offer, we want to see the school. I’d say the leading candidates now are Maryland and Virginia was very impressive.”

• Hertford County (N.C.) offensive lineman Will Simmons has several camps on tap this summer, including one at College Park.

Hasty believes more offers will come Simmons’ way after a busy June in which he plans to attend one-day camps at Alabama, Maryland, N.C. State, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Penn State is another possible camp destination for Simmons.

• Seneca Valley safety Xavier Hughes has picked up a couple new offers and continues to hear from the Terps.

“I had offers from West Virginia, Akron and Buffalo and added Ohio and Eastern Michigan to the list,” he said. “I’m also talking to Syracuse, Maryland, Duke, Boston College, Virginia Tech and Rutgers. They all sound very interested in me.”

Basketball links

• I assume everyone has probably had their fill of Gus Gilchrist news by now, but here are just two additional links from the past week. First, Sun columnist David Steele says that Gilchrist’s departure is no fault of Gary Williams.

This can't, shouldn't, reflect on him, even if it piles on one of the more miserable springs he has experienced in College Park. Try to use it to fuel the fire raging in some quarters against Williams, and you'll come up dry.

The second link comes for TurtleSportsReport.com‘s Jeff Ermann, who spoke with Gilchrist’s trainer/advisor, Terrelle Woody. According to Woody, the reason for Gilchrist’s transfer was a desire for restored eligibility.

“Nah, no state of the program [issues] Gus was ready to play with his teammates and win games,” he said. “It wasn’t [an easy decision]. It’s something that he felt would be best for him, to get his full four years of college.”

Color me skeptical on that happening.

• Former Terps shooting guard signee Tyree Evans is still looking for a home, and The Record Courier in Ohio speculates that Kent State could be his destination -- if a scholarship opens up.

Even if Kent State was inclined to take a chance on Evans, it may not be able to fit him onto the roster. The Flashes do not have a scholarship available at the moment. Kentucky, Mississippi State and Texas Tech are also rumored to be interested in Evans ...

• Dix Hills, N.Y., power forward Tobias Harris has a busy summer ahead of him, but a trip to College Park is on the itinerary.

Beginning next weekend with a trip to Kansas, Harris will attend camps at or make unofficial visits to Kansas, Virginia, Indiana, Louisville, Marquette, Rutgers, Maryland, Florida, UConn, Arizona, Memphis and Syracuse.

Harris holds offers from Rutgers, UConn, Maryland, Arizona and Indiana, according to Torrel Harris, Tobias's father and coach of his Unique All-Stars AAU club.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

Another week and another quarterback prospect emerges for Maryland.

Late last week, the Terps offered a scholarship to Kernersville, N.C., quarterback Danny O’Brien, who promptly named UM as one of his leaders.

“Maryland told me they would offer me (Friday),” O’Brien said. “After they saw me play I called Coach Franklin and he said he felt good about offering. He talked to Coach Friedgen and they called my coach this morning. They said the offer would be in the mail.

“I’m pumped, they’re definitely one of my top schools. They and Duke are the two in the clear lead right now. Now that they’ve offered it’s really solidified them at the top. Coach Franklin runs a pro-style offense and that appeals to me a lot. He’s had a lot of success wherever he’s been, and Coach Friedgen is a great guy.”

• Penn State picked up commitments from two Maryland prospects this week, both of whom had offers from the Terps. Gaithersburg defensive end Sean Stanley and Oxon Hill wide receiver Brandon Felder both pledged to the Nittany Lions on Tuesday.

“I just wanted to be part of the Penn State tradition,” Felder said Tuesday. “I was impressed with the staff, and it’s a great school academically.”

• DeMatha offensive tackle Pete DeSouza, who sports a Terps offer, had good things to say about Maryland’s staff in this Yahoo Sports article.

“I’ve been impressed with Maryland because I’ve been there,” he said. “I enjoy being around them, the coaches and staff. I haven’t been to other campuses.

“I like Coach Friedgen and Coach Bratten. I think they are real. They are honest about what they think and their opinions.”

• Eleanor Roosevelt linebacker/defensive end Isaiah Ross has two teammates headed to Penn State, but the 6-foot-2, 235-pounder currently has Maryland as one of his leaders.

“I’ve got offers from Maryland and Buffalo,” he said. “I like both of those schools. Maryland is close to home and two of my former teammates are heading to Buffalo. I like both schools.”

• Philadelphia running back Rob Hollomon told Yahoo Sports that he’ll probably visit College Park for camp this summer.

“I’d say my favorites are UConn, North Carolina State, Rutgers, Pitt, and I’ll probably go with Maryland,” he said.

“I’ve been hearing from some Division I and Division I-AA programs like Akron, Villanova, Temple, UConn, Pitt, Rutgers and Buffalo. I believe I’m going to the Maryland camp, Villanova, FDU, Pitt, Connecticut, and I think I might go to Temple. I may go to a few more down south like North Carolina State and Clemson.”

• The [Charleston, S.C.] Post and Courier has updates on Matthews, N.C., linebacker Hawatha Bell, Gastonia, N.C., wide receiver Jheranie Boyd and Fort Walton Beach, Fla., linebacker Matt Coffee, all of whom claim Maryland offers, according to The Post and Courier.

Basketball links

• Plainfield, N.J., coach Pete Vasil told ZagsBlog this week that 2010 point guard Isaiah Epps will take an unofficial visit to Maryland June 24-25.

"There's a camp going on," Vasil said.

Maryland recently offered the 6-foot-2 Epps and told Vasil they're targeting him to be their lead guard in the Class of 2010.

• The Sun’s Rick Maese has an interesting column in today’s paper on a new service that performs extensive background checks on recruits for interested colleges.

The colleges ensure each academically qualifies, but most don't do thorough background checks on every recruit. That's part of the reason Maryland offered a basketball scholarship to Tyree Evans last month without knowing the extent of his criminal history.

• Maryland is one of many DI schools watching Spotsylvania, Va., power forward Josh Hairston, but according Fredericksburg.com, a visit to College Park hasn’t been scheduled for next month.

Hairston has received scholarship offers from Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Georgetown and Ohio State. He has unofficial visits set up next month at all of those schools except Maryland, but he also has another unofficial visit scheduled for Duke.

• Walbrook small forward Roscoe Smith sat out the spring AAU season to concentrate on academics, but that didn’t matter to Scout.com, which recently ranked him the No. 15 player in the 2010 class.

Our last guy in is Roscoe Smith. Absent from the AAU circuit this spring, his resume was bolstered this winter at Walbrook High School.

According to The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal, Kansas has joined Smith’s list of suitors.

It seems Bill Self and Co. were busy over the holiday weekend. According to Rivals.com, KU has offered Roscoe Smith, a 6-foot-7 small forward from Baltimore in the class of 2010 …

For those that missed it ...

This is an update I added to Wednesday’s blog entry about Latay Darden.

I received a report Wednesday that Darden had not been cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse. I spoke with Branch about this, and he claimed there was a mix-up with Darden's social security number and birth date on one of the forms. So, Darden hasn't been cleared just yet. Either way, Maryland hasn't offered, and probably wouldn't unless everything was settled with the clearinghouse. It's wait-and-see at this point.

My apologies to the readers for the confusion. Believe me, I’m just as confused about the original quotes from Branch as you probably are.

Programming note

I’ll be out of town until Tuesday, so unless something crazy happens, I probably won’t have another blog entry until Wednesday.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

The April commitment from C.J. Brown hasn’t stopped Maryland from pursuing additional 2009 quarterbacks.

According to The [Charleston, S.C.] Post and Courier, the Terps recently offered Morgan Newton, a quarterback from the Indianapolis area.

Maryland and Florida are recent offers for QB Morgan Newton (6-5, 215) of Carmel, Ind., giving him a total of 16, including USC and Clemson. Newton said last week the Gamecocks and Tigers "probably" will make it when he cuts down his list. USC's Reaves watched Newton practice last Monday. "Hopefully, he got to see what he wanted to see," Newton said. Clemson quarterbacks coach Rob Spence visited the school earlier in the spring. Coaches from Maryland, Nebraska and Penn State came through late last week, and he has talked with Florida head coach Urban Meyer. Newton said he does not have favorites and is not planning to attend any camps this summer.

The above-linked article also contains notes on two other reported UM targets -- Gastonia, N.C., wide receiver Jheranie Boyd and Tucker, Ga., defensive lineman Deion Roberson.

• Windsor, N.C., offensive tackle Travis Bond picked up two new offers recently, one of which was from Maryland.

“Michigan and Maryland offered me, but that’s about it for right now,” he said. “I don’t have any favorites right now. This summer I’m probably going to go to five or ten one-day camps but I’m not sure where yet.”

He said he gets along with coaches from all of the schools that have recruited him so far. Michigan and Maryland join schools like North Carolina, NC State, South Carolina and East Carolina to have offered Bond.

• Maryland and West Virginia are the two schools to offer Jefferson Hills, Pa., offensive tackle Pat Eger, which puts the Terps and Mountaineers in the driver’s seat.

“I got an offer from Maryland the other week,” he said. “I mean, West Virginia and Maryland are my offers right now so I’d say they’re my favorites.

• The recruitment of Edmondson athlete Carroll Washington is starting to take shape. Washington, who plays quarterback for the Red Storm, is waiting on his first offer, but has Maryland and West Virginia as his early leaders.

“Maryland is because they are recruiting me as a defensive back and I have a high chance of playing as a freshman there. West Virginia it is because of their facilities and the offense. I think I’d fit great in that offense.”

• DeMatha linebacker Raheem Caldwell told Yahoo! Sports this week that he expects his recruitment to pick up steam soon.

“I actually just got my highlight film out and should start hearing back,” he stated. “I really like Maryland, Hawaii, Virginia, Illinois and Virginia Tech. I would say Oregon and Missouri are up there.

• The latest Recruiting Spotlight video from washingtonpost.com looks at Whitman quarterback/wide receiver/defensive back Anthony Young-Wiseman, who will camp at Maryland this summer. Click here to watch the video.

Basketball links

• Tyree Evans’ JUCO coach could be leaving Motlow State (Tenn.) Community College for the Mid-American Conference.

The third member of Kent State's staff has not yet been hired, but Motlow State Community College head coach Bobby Steinburg appears to be the leading candidate.

• Former Terps target Greg Echenique will get an early start on his college career at Rutgers. The St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) center recently reclassified his eligibility status from 2009 to 2008.

"Gregory had a choice of returning for a fifth year of high school or going to college and moving on to his college life and he felt like it was in his best interest to begin college and he felt like he was physically and mentally and emotionally prepared," St. Benedict's coach Dan Hurley said Tuesday by phone.

• Virginia power forward Deshawn Painter reportedly claimed a Maryland offer, but last weekend he committed to Florida.

"That relieves a lot of pressure, and now he can concentrate on improving his game," [AAU coach Boo] Williams said. "It's a good fit and a win-win for both Florida and DeShawn."

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
                    

A quick scan of Penn State’s 2009 football recruiting class shows three commitments from Maryland -- Eleanor Roosevelt cornerback Derrick Thomas, and Lackey defensive backs Darrell Givens and Malcolm Willis.

The Altoona (Pa.) Mirror predicts that Willis, who was not offered by the Terps, could serve as a valuable recruiter in Maryland for the Nittany Lions.

An engaging personality, Willis might be to this year’s Nittany Lion class what Aaron Maybin was a couple of years ago -- a player who successful recruits future teammates. Even while he smiled about two of his friends joining him at Penn State, he went on to talk about how they were already trying to get others, like five-star Maryland linebacker Jelani Jenkins.

• There were two relevant Tavon Austin links this week. First, the Dunbar running back checked in with another installment of the Sun series, Recruiting Tavon Austin. In this piece, Austin recaps his time at last weekend’s Nike training camp at Penn State.

For the second link, TurtleSportsReport.com’s Jeff Ermann spoke with former UM linebacker Aaron Thompson, who is Austin’s cousin. Thompson said Austin’s not leaning anywhere right now, but the Terps are in solid shape.

“He still likes Maryland. The thing is, Maryland is home. Because Maryland is home I think that Maryland will be there to the end, because Tavon wants to be near his family and he likes coach Franklin,” said Thompson, whose Aunt is Austin’s mother.

• Fayetteville, N.C. athlete Everett Proctor has received offers from Maryland, East Carolina, N.C. State and Appalachian State, according to The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer, but only the Mountaineers have offered him as a quarterback. If Proctor decides to go the athlete route, the Terps could be in great shape.

Appalachian State is the only school to have offered a scholarship and chance to play the quarterback position, which is what Proctor would prefer to do, according to [Jack Britt head coach Richard] Bailey. But Illinois, Georgia Tech and West Virginia are also considering him as a quarterback prospect. ...

Despite all the attention from other schools, Maryland remains as Proctor’s favorite. He grew up following the Terps and his father works in Washington, D.C.

• The stock of Tuscarora cornerback Dominic Clarke continues to rise. Clarke, who has offers from Maryland, Virginia, Navy and Richmond, spoke to Yahoo! Sports about his recruitment this week.

“I think Ohio State might be offering me soon, they really like me a lot,” he said. “If they offered that would be big. They are a name that speaks for itself.

“The Stanford coaches have come by the school as well. I’m also hearing from Connecticut, Rutgers and Duke.”

Later in the week, Clarke did pick up a Buckeyes offer, in addition to one from Boston College.

• The Washington Post’s latest Recruiting Spotlight video looks at Gaithersburg defensive end Sean Stanley, who sports offers from Maryland, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia among others. Click here to see the video.

Basketball links

• Sean Mosley’s still working hard to become academically qualified for Maryland, so The Diamondback checked in on his progress.

Mosley said he initially struggled with his test-taking skills and remembering basic algebra - which he hasn't studied in several years - more than anything. He worked with several teachers from St. Frances on developing his process-of-elimination skills.

"I just tried to find different ways to get to the answers," Mosley said.

• ESPN.com had scouts on hand for last weekend’s Southern Invitational Tournament on the campus of the University of Virginia, and Terps power forward target Dante Taylor was one of the event’s standout performers.

Dante Taylor had 17 points in the quarterfinals and the semis; he showed great mobility and athleticism for a big man. Taylor has the ability to use the spin move to get to the rim on the baseline. He displayed great footwork on the drop step and up-and-under moves in the paint. Taylor is a long 6-9, and he does a fine job challenging shots and crashing the glass. He has soft touch from the midrange and has even shown the ability to hit the occasional 3.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

The story of Maryland shooting guard signee Tyree Evans went national this week.

On Monday, SI.com took a closer look at Evans’ criminal history.

The Sun followed that story up yesterday with the revelation that Evans hasn’t been admitted to the university yet.

Today, Childs Walker took a look at other athletes with troubled pasts that were given another chance in college, while Rick Maese penned a column explaining why Gary Williams’ recruitment of Evans shows that he’s playing with a new rulebook.

• Former Terps shooting guard target Chris Turner has finally found a home. The former Oregon State commitment signed with East Carolina yesterday.

"Chris is an energizing addition to Pirate Basketball," said [ECU head coach Mack] McCarthy. "He gives us a dimension that we lack--someone who creates his own scoring opportunities. An outstanding athlete, Chris will make an immediate impact on the East Carolina program. We welcome him to our basketball family."

• Walbrook sophomore Roscoe Smith has decided to focus on academics this spring, while continuing to pick up scholarship offers.

Scholarship offers keep coming to Walbrook sophomore All-Metro forward Roscoe Smith, who is not playing Amateur Athletic Union basketball right now so he can concentrate on academics and his SAT score. Smith has received scholarship offers from schools that include Maryland, Georgetown, Florida State, Texas, Kansas, North Carolina, Xavier, Connecticut and Duke.

• TurtleSportsReport.com took a look this week at a DC-area prospect that could be 'the next big thing.'

Jordan Goodman is a 6-foot-8 wing player from Bowie who is currently developing his game while playing with the D.C. Assault AAU program. Goodman, who will be a freshman at Rockville High this fall, has been compared to local product and former all-American DerMarr Johnson at the same stage.

• Maryland women’s signee Lynetta Kizer was named to Virginia’s AAA all-state team this week, while UM women’s target Tierra Ruffin-Pratt was honored as the state’s Player of the Year.

Pratt was chosen in balloting by a panel of sports writers from around the state. She averaged 26 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in leading her team to a 22-1 record.

Football recruiting

• Maryland signed wide receiver Kerry Boykins from Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Va., in February. Now the Terps are hoping to land his teammate, linebacker Jerod Askew, who has already visited College Park for a Junior Day.

"I liked Maryland's facilities," said Askew. "The coaches were great and the players were excellent. We talked to them about how the school is and what it was like playing there.

• South Carolina offensive lineman Brandon Thomas told The [Charleston, S.C.] Post and Courier that South Carolina, Clemson and North Carolina are his leaders, but he’ll visit College Park before making his decision.

Recruiters from USC, North Carolina and N.C. State visited Dorman last week to check on OL Brandon Thomas (6-4, 286), and he's expecting Clemson this week. Thomas nearly committed to Clemson last month. "I did feel that way because I thought I was going to have to make my decision early," Thomas said. But he now plans to take official visits to Clemson, USC, North Carolina, Maryland and Vanderbilt before deciding.

• Terps fans with the sports package on Direct TV will be able to take an early look at UM quarterback commitment C.J. Brown this fall thanks to Fox Sports Pittsburgh's high school football telecasts.

FSN's fourth season of Thursday night high school football telecasts opens with Seneca Valley and quarterback C.J. Brown, who's committed to Maryland, playing host to Erie McDowell on Sept. 4.

• North Dartmouth (Mass.) tight end and UM target Arthur Fontaine ended his recruitment this week by verbally committing to Boston College.

“It’s a great opportunity for him to play at a very good school,” said Dartmouth coach Richard White. “The family (his sister attends BC and the mother is a BC grad) has a chance to be involved in watching him play. This is a great for program, we have a group of kids who are very talented.”

• This link is a little dated, but New Jersey linebacker Ka'Lial Glaud has already visited College Park and liked what he saw.

One of the few schools that he's already visited is Maryland. "It's a great atmosphere there," he said. "They have a great family bond and the coaches are cool. We just talked about stuff and not just football.

"I also really like the facilities and campus at Maryland," he said.

• DeMatha quarterback Tom Chroniger picked up his first scholarship offer this week, according to Yahoo Sports.

“I got an offer from Eastern Michigan,” he said. “The big people I’m also talking to are Illinois, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

I’ve stubbornly held off from writing anything about 2010 basketball recruiting for Maryland, but with AAU season in full swing and new offers going out to several prospects, it’s probably time to give in.

This week, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog has updates on two sophomores with Terps offers. One of those prospects is Dix Hills, N.Y. swingman Tobias Harris, who has plenty of early options.

A slew of schools have already offered Harris, with Rutgers being the first. UConn, Maryland, Arizona, Virginia Tech and Indiana previously offered, according to Torrel Harris, Tobias's father and coach of his Unique All-Stars AAU club.

Zagoria also updates the recruitment of Plainfield, N.J. point guard Isaiah Epps, who was recently offered by Maryland.

"He was formally offered a schollie by Gary Williams," Plainfield coach Pete Vasil said Monday. "Both assistants are supposed to come tomorrow morning for a visit. This is the guard they've targeted in the Class of 2010. They're looking for him to play major minutes.

• The Bobby Maze watch continues, and ZagsBlog has the latest.

"Bobby is visiting Cincinnati this weekend, Kentucky the weekend after that," Hutchison (Kan.) Community College coach Ryan Swanson said by email. "No visit has been set yet for St. John's."

• Former Terps target Ater Majok ended his recruitment this week. The one-time Baylor commitment picked Connecticut over Kentucky, Kansas and a host of others.

The 6-foot-10, 220-pound forward from the Heat Basketball Academy in Virginia picked the Huskies after careful deliberation. HBA coach Jason Niblett confirmed the news with Rivals.com.

"He felt at home and he wants a chance to win a national championship," Niblett said. "I think he felt like [UConn] was the best fit for him."

Football recruiting

• In the third installment of The Sun series, Recruiting Tavon Austin, the Dunbar running back talks about picking up an offer from Georgia, and the possibility of playing in the SEC.

The SEC is known for producing some of the best NFL-ready players, and I think it's one of the strongest conferences in college football. I'm not really worrying about any of that, though. I want to choose a school based on how I feel and where I feel the most comfortable.

• The Washington Post’s latest installment of Recruiting Spotlight looks at Quince Orchard defensive tackle Terrence Stephens. According to The Post, Stephens sports offers from Maryland, Nebraska, Stanford, West Virginia, Syracuse, N.C. State, Connecticut and Penn State. Click here to see the video.

• The Post’s Josh Barr checked in with Roosevelt (D.C.) head coach Daryl Tilghman this week for an update on defensive end prospect Darin Drakeford. According to Tilghman, the Terps look increasingly favorable to Drakeford.

"At first, I thought he was lukewarm toward Maryland, but after they talked he kind of had a different look at Maryland and is getting a little more interested," Tilghman said of the 6-1, 210-pound Drakeford, who is projected as a rush linebacker with about 20-25 more pounds on his frame. "I know he's going to their camp this summer."

• Newark (Del.) Hodgson Vo-Tech twins Jamil Merrell, a defensive lineman, and Jamal Merrell, a wide receiver, told Yahoo! Sports that they plan on visiting College Park this summer.

“We’re going to Rutgers and Maryland. We plan on going to Florida State, Tennessee and maybe West Virginia. We’ll probably have a favorite school after visiting those over the summer.”

• Virginia Beach (Va.) Landstown running back Sterlin Phifer made a recent visit to Maryland. The Terps haven’t extended an offer, but Phifer considers UM one of the leaders in his recruitment.

“It was a good visit there too,” he said. “I’ve been there a number of times and it was nothing different. I got to talk to Coach Brattan. They want me to come to camp and then they’ll probably offer.”

Currently Maryland and West Virginia are two of four schools leading for Phifer.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The second installment of the Sun series, Recruiting Tavon Austin, ran in today's paper. In this edition, the Dunbar running back recounts a recent visit to Penn State.

The coaching staff talked to me and introduced themselves to my mother. I talked to coach Joe Paterno, and he always shows me love when I go there. He talks about grades and stresses that I keep them up. They also said that no spots on the team are guaranteed, so if I show up to practice and perform well, I could play early.

• Rivals.com updated its 2009 rankings this week, and Good Counsel linebacker Jelani Jenkins saw his ranking rise significantly.

Jenkins, a 6-foot, 203-pound linebacker with offers from nearly every major program in the country, was previously No. 79. Jenkins, who also runs track, has tremendous speed, plays downhill and loves to hit. While he plays running back on offense as well, his future is clearly as a game-changing linebacker. Jenkins recently took an unofficial visit to Penn State, and the Nittany Lions, Boston College, Maryland, Virginia and many others are high on his list.

• This news is a little dated, but Norcross, Ga. athlete D.J. Adams had good things to say about Maryland in an interview with Scout.com last week.

Adams already attended junior days at Maryland and Clemson. "I liked the location of Maryland a lot," he said. "It's close to DC and that's the farthest north I've ever been. I see their program being on the rise and the coaches are great. They have a lot going for them. The weather there is also pretty good and I just had a good experience there."

• According to this update from The [Charleston, S.C.] Post and Courier, Maryland has offered several South Carolina prospects. The above-linked article has updates on offensive lineman Brandon Thomas, defensive end Tariq Edwards and defensive end Sam Montgomery. The article also has tidbits on North Carolina linebacker Hawatha Bell and Delaware wide receiver Justin Brown.

• Ashburn (Va.) Stone Bridge defensive end Zach Thompson claimed early offers from Maryland, Boston College, N.C. State, Syracuse, Virginia, Wake Forest and West Virginia. Earlier this week, Thompson ended his recruitment, committing to the Demon Deacons.

"We kept going back and forth between Virginia and Wake," Mickey Thompson said. "And he just felt a little more comfortable with the smaller campus and all that kind of stuff.

"He was adamant that he liked both places, but he definitely wanted to go to Wake."

• The Washington Post’s latest installment of Recruiting Spotlight takes a look at Roosevelt (D.C.) defensive end/tight end Darin Drakeford. The Post reports that Maryland and Illinois have offered Drakeford. Click here to see the video.

Programming note: I’ll be out of town until Tuesday, so updates until then will either be spotty or non-existent.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)