Maryland's football recruiting had crazy momentum a few months ago, when Stefon Diggs had just committed and Jarrett Ross was on the board in 2013. After a few slow months, that momentum is back, as 2013 Virginia athlete Michael Parker just committed to the Terrapins earlier today over Virginia and Illinois, with other offers from Virginia Tech, Tennessee, N.C. State, and Ohio State. (Apparently, Edsall > Urban.) Parker is a Nokesville native, near Manassas and firmly within the DMV region Maryland is so desperately trying to fence in; he figures to be one of Virginia's better recruits of the class.
Parker is Maryland's most highly-ranked commitment of the class so far, and, at least in Rivals' rankings, their biggest in years save for Stefon Diggs. A four-star athlete who can play almost anywhere, Parker is ranked #117 in Rivals' first top 250, and he's a four-star prospect on 247Sports and Scout as well. Many think his best place in the future will be at safety, but wide receiver and running back are also popular destinations. His frame (6-4, 200) and speed (4.6) offer great versatility in either regard.
Randy Edsall has been putting an emphasis on getting upgrades at the skill positions, and while that seemed a little like coach-speak earlier in the year the last three additions - Diggs, Ross, and now Parker - are all speedy and athletic types that would fit in on any team in the ACC. It's a hopeful trend.
The commitment should also restore some much-needed momentum, getting recruits buzzing about the Terrapins again. And let's be real: for a school that just went 2-10, pick-ups of the likes of Parker and Diggs are pretty huge.
Check out his highlights here. Frankly, it screams safety to me, but we'll see what happens with the rest of the class.
And yes, this sort of came out of the blue. But I'll take it. And yes, he has the same name as Mychal Parker. Cue jokes ... now.