Whoa: Taivon Jacobs back in play for Maryland

Taivon Jacobs was one of Maryland's prime targets for the 2013 recruiting class ... until he committed to Ohio State back in July, from which point he's been apparently completely solid on the Buckeyes. That was a disappointment for Maryland, which coveted Jacobs' speed and play-making ability at receiver, plus the momentum that landing another premier local would've offered.

The Terrapins never gave up on recruiting Jacobs, predictably, but it appeared as if they had little chance of pulling him back. Until now, at least:

On the eve of National Signing Day, Suitland senior Taivon Jacobs, a two-time All-Met wide receiver, said in a phone interview he will decide between Ohio State and Maryland during a ceremony at his school on Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Jacobs orally committed to Ohio State in July, but he said he has been reconsidering that decision in recent weeks for a variety of factors, including his desire to be close to his one-year-old daughter, Bailey.

"I've discussed it over with my family," Jacobs said. "I want to make the best choice for me. I have a child. I want to make sure I'm a great father and a great player."

Uh, hey guys. I think I figured out what that Mike Locksley tweet was about. Locks, you sly dog, you.

Jacobs says he doesn't know where he's going. Maybe he's telling the truth about that, but I'm not entirely sure. It would seem very, very, very odd to decommit (publicly, at least) on Tuesday before committing to the same exact school on Wednesday. I'm not saying it isn't possible, but I am saying it would pretty strange given that he's already scheduled an announcement. If you're not sure whether to flip or stick, you probably just keep it quiet; scheduling an announcement implies - perhaps erroneously, but this is the implication nonetheless - movement.

The family pull is obviously strong here; he's a father, it would seem, and heading off to Ohio State would be pretty tough to justify there, plus his brother Levern is already in College Park as a receiver himself. Throw in Mike Locksley's ability to connect with D.C. locals, and you can see the draw.

Save perhaps Yannick Ngakoue, Jacobs was probably my favorite local recruit in this class. He's not a big guy - listed at 5-11 and 165 on Rivals, though I'm not sold on that - but he's absolute greased lightning with the ball. He has both straight-line speed and elusiveness in the open field, and is exactly the type of dynamic athlete that a spread needs to survive. The Terrapins have a distinct lack of those types of players on the roster - Stefon Diggs being an obvious caveat, but even he is more of an all-around type of receiver that could thrive anywhere. Jacobs is tailor-made to be a little dynamo in a spread offense. He's only a composite three-star, but he's always been seemingly undervalued nationally - his local reputation and offer sheets, which are that of a four-star national recruit, tell the bigger story for me.

With Jacobs, Ngakoue, and Jacquille Veii all in play for Signing Day, tomorrow might just get very interesting indeed.