Maryland football recruiting: Top target Adam McLean says he will visit College Park

Hatchling Huddle is a recurring series where we talk to high school players recruited by Maryland or coaches who have Maryland recruits.

Update, Feb. 14 -- McLean now says he will be visiting Penn State this weekend instead.

The top-rated 2015 prospect in the state of Maryland is Adam McLean, who is also (not so coincidentally) the top target for the Terrapins in the class. McLean, a four-star defensive lineman from Quince Orchard (Gaithersburg) High School, is considered the seventh-best strong-side defensive end in the class.

He'll be visiting College Park this weekend, along with possible visits for Junior Day next weekend and the Spring Game in March, he said in a phone interview with Testudo Times.

The visit could have a lot to do with the personal relationships McLean has with the team. When asked about who he knew on the Terrapins, McLean couldn't stop at just one person.

"Every person on the team I know personally and I talk to them a lot," he said. "Jacquille Veii, Stefon Diggs, Jesse Aniebonam, everyone. Wes Brown considers me his little brother, so I know him really well."

McLean said he did not yet know whether he would attend Maryland's Junior Day next weekend, but he is considering the possibility. He talked about the Terps' recruitment of him, saying "Maryland is recruiting me hard. They've checked on me a lot."

Being from the area, it seems logical that McLean would have a tie to the school, but for right now, he is just letting his recruitment take its course.

"I'm just feeling out the process right now," he said. "But if I had to name the schools that interest me the most, they would be Michigan State, Ohio State, Florida, South Carolina, Maryland, and Alabama, in no particular order."

McLean had a lot to say about Maryland, however.

"What I like most about Maryland is the fact that they never back down," he said. "A lot of people are saying stuff about their move to the Big Ten and they just don't care. That team battles and never gives up, and that is something I really like.

"They're not my number one team right now, but that is definitely a team I could see myself playing for," McLean said. "They're a tough team and they always battle tough."

As for who is specifically recruiting him to the University of Maryland, it should be no surprise that head coach Randy Edsall is in on it, but the lead recruiter is new defensive line coach Chad Wilt.

"We've had some discussions," he said. "They make sure to check in on me."

As of now, McLean boasts 25 offers from around the country, and will be a highly sought after recruit, so Maryland will have a battle in hauling in the talented product.

McLean finished out his junior year at Quince Orchard on a sour note, however, losing to Northwestern in the quarterfinals, but the team did finish 10-2 and the defense was stout, forcing five shutouts over the course of the season.

Being one of Maryland's top targets, McLean will be a name to watch over the coming months as the process takes shape.