Maryland football recruiting: McCardell's Texas ties paying off with Jameel Cook and Remus Bulmer

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

A short portion of new Terps' wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell's NFL career was spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played alongside fullback Jameel Cook.

Cook currently lives in Texas and now has two sons who are on Maryland's recruiting radar -- safety Jameel Cook Jr., who has already received an offer from the Terps, and running back Remus Bulmer, who is confident that his is coming soon. At the moment, both are unranked by the 247sports composite, but that will most likely change with both having very productive years for Ridge Point High School.

Texas also happens to be the state where McCardell went to high school, and is now part of his recruiting region.

"McCardell, he uses the close relationship with my dad and that's actually working right now," Cook said in a recent phone interview with Testudo Times.

He added that his dad is not pressuring him or his brother into any decisions and that he really does just want what is best for them.

"[My dad] played with McCardell and he wants me to feel at home and be around people I grew up with, and I have family in the area," Cook said. "He wants me and my brother to make it."

Cook, whose other offers are Colorado and Missouri, echoed the same sentiments as his dad when talking about what he is looking for in a school.

"Being comfortable, and being able to be myself," Cook said. "And not do things that I'm not accustomed to doing. Same goes on the football field, I want to be able to adjust easily.  I want to go somewhere that I can use my instincts."

And so far, through his conversations with McCardell, Cook's instincts are telling him that Maryland is the right fit, despite only being able to visit schools that are closer in proximity so far.

"I'm really considering Maryland as being my home soon," Cook said. "I'm going out to Nebraska for their spring game this weekend, on the way back i'm going to check out Missouri and they have been showing me a lot of love..those will be my first two visits and I don't expect anything to change, I still think my first choice will be Maryland."

Cook, who normally does everything quick with a 4.46 40-yard dash time, did say, however, that he is in no rush to make his announcement, which will most likely come toward the end of his senior year, but he does plan to make his way up to visit Maryland before then.

"I'm planning on taking [a visit] out there during the summer," Cook said "I’m trying to graduate early, so I might not get out there until toward the end of the summer but I'm trying to get out there."

As for Bulmer, who had 1,900 yards and 20 touchdowns last season in just 10 games, the offers are still to come, but besides Maryland, he has drawn interest from Colorado, Houston, Nebraska, Oregon State, and Texas.

He said that he is looking for a school with coaches like Maryland who have "less leniency" and more of a structured program.

He also said that too much should not be read into he and his brother's early visits.

"We haven't planned anything for Maryland yet but if anything it will be in the summer," Bulmer said. "We are going to schools now not necessarily because they are the schools we want to go to but because they are convenient for my family."

Although the offers he receives will end up determining his list of schools he is considering, Bulmer said that Maryland as of now is right in the middle of his top five.

"I would say Oregon State, [Texas] and Maryland," Bulmer said, "and the last two, I would go with Missouri and probably Colorado."

It will be interesting to see if the Terps can land both siblings in a package deal of sorts. Looking at Cook's and Bulmer's highlight reels, it seems as though both of them would be valuable assets to any team that lands them.