Maryland football recruiting: Which offensive targets are left for the Terps in the class of 2015?

It's safe to say Maryland football's recruiting successes have picked up significantly over the past two months. Four-star local offensive guard E.J. Donahue committed to the Terps back in October 2013 and stood as the only pledge in the class for months. And months. And months. Then, on a beautiful day in late May, three-star Florida running back Deltron Sands committed to the Terps, setting up a domino effect that leaves Maryland with 16 commits and one of the top recruiting classes in the Big Ten.

Now that we've had some time to analyze where the class is at after the flurry of pledges, it's time for an extended projected of sorts. Who is left for Maryland to fill out their class? We estimate the Terps will end up with around 21-22 commitments in their class (based on current rosters composition), so there's not a whole ton of room -- but there are a good amount of talented prospects still left on the board. We've excluded players who Maryland has no shot with, as well as players Maryland has no interest with.

We've split this up by position, as well, for navigation purposes. Each position is split into three sections: committed, who's left and backup options. Consider anyone in the "Who's left?" category as someone Maryland would definitely take in the class if they decided to commit. Any exceptions are noted.

Quarterback

Committed:

Gage Shaffer, Frankfort (W.V.), (film review): three stars, 39th-best pro-style quarterback, second-best player in West Virginia

How many more will Maryland take? 0-1.

Who's left:

Kai Locksley, Gilman (Md.)

Ratings: Four stars, 19th-best athlete, fourth-best player in Maryland.

The son of offensive coordinator Mike Locksley, Kai is arguably the biggest prospect for the Terps in the class, due to a combination of his talent, the family connections and the potential fallout of landing a top local quarterback.

How important is he? 10/10. Losing out on him wouldn't be quite the disaster for his dad that some would like to frame it (some people legitimately don't want to play for their father, and that's fine), but there aren't many other legitimate options available at the position. Even more to the point, it's not often that Maryland produces this kind of quarterback talent.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 7/10. The three finalists appear to be Florida State, Texas and Maryland. The Seminoles already hold a quarterback commitment in De'Andre Johnson and are the overwhelming favorites to land four-star Deondre Francois. Texas has a commitment from four-star quarterback Zach Gentry and are rumored to want to move Locksley from his preferred quarterback position. That leaves Maryland as, somehow, the most sensible choice for the recruit, but it's not always that simple -- the presence of his father (or the prestige of the other programs involved) might drive him elsewhere.

The backup options

Brett Brumbaugh, Brandon Battle, Brycen Lee, David Pindell, Ryan Adzima, Nick Marsilio, Alex Mussat, Chris Riddle, Tyler Schubert, Will Haines and Elijah Burress. There are a whole lot of names here because there's not really a clear-cut answer after Locksley. Battle, Brumbaugh and Lee are all rated mid to low three-star prospects, while the rest are unrated. Pindell, from local Oakland Mills High School, is probably the most likely, but Maryland hasn't offered any of these prospects yet for a reason. Our preference if Maryland misses out on Locksley? Stick with Shaffer and move on to 2016, where four-star Bullis quarterback Dwayne Haskins looks like the real deal.

Running back

Committed:

Deltron Sands, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), (film review): three stars, 90th-best running back, 153rd-best player in Florida

How many more will Maryland take? 0-1.

Who's left:

Ray-Ray McCloud III, Sickles (Fla.)

Ratings: Four stars, eighth-best athlete, 19th-best player in Florida.

McCloud was one of a number of high-profile Floridian prospects who visited College Park in late June for the Big Show. He was one of the only ones who had previously visited Maryland, giving the Terps a better chance at landing him than some of the others.

How important is he? 5/10. He would be a huge get, but Maryland already has Sands and could move Ty Johnson from cornerback if they need to. If Maryland actually stood a chance, we'd rate his importance significantly higher.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 1/10. He's reportedly down to Clemson and Florida (with all signs pointing to the Gators), and any decision outside of those two would be a significant surprise.

The backup options

Kesean Strong and Remus Bulmer. Strong already tried to commit to Maryland, but there's no longer any room for him in the class. If someone decommits, that may change, but I don't see the Terps making room for any running backs besides McCloud. Bulmer is the brother of Maryland safety commit Jameel Cook, but would likely need a lot of different things to happen (some decommits, Strong committing elsewhere) to get a Maryland offer.

Wide receiver

Committed:

D.J. Moore, Imhotep (Penn.): three stars, 55th-best athlete, 12th-best player in Pennsylvania

Jahrvis Davenport, Robinson (Fla.): three stars, 167th-best wide receiver, 198th-best player in Florida

How many more will Maryland take? Probably two.

Who's left:

Jaason Lewis, Ocean Lakes (Va.)

Ratings: Four stars, 17th-best athlete, ninth-best player in Virginia.

Lewis's recruitment has considerably opened up since his decommitment from UCLA, and Maryland was a surprise inclusion in his Top 10 list of schools. The Terps join a list of high profile programs (with a lot of SEC representation) on his list, and notably absent are the two Virginia schools. Another note with Lewis: no one really knows where he'll play. He's an athletic freak, standing at 6'3" and weighing 233 pounds while still maintaining the speed necessary to play an offensive skill position, so we're slotting him at wide receiver.

How important is he? 4/10. The Terps have plenty of options at wide receiver left in the class, and already have two in hand.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 2/10. Maryland making the Top 10 is a pleasant surprise, but he appears headed to either the SEC or Pac-12.

Ryan Davis, Lakewood (Fla.)

Ratings: Four stars, 26th-best athlete, 39th-best player in Florida.

Davis is another one of the Florida stars who attended the Big Show, and is probably the one the Terps have the best shot with out of that crop. He was reportedly blown away by his visit and hopes to return, but Maryland will have to beat out some SEC competition and hope Florida State does not offer.

How important is he? 7/10. Being able to land one of the blue-chip Florida kids would be absolutely huge, and Davis is likely their best shot.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 5/10. Between offers from Miami and Kentucky (who are reportedly in good position) and a potential offer from Florida State in the wings, this is going to be a tough one.

Auden Tate, Wharton (Fla.)

Ratings: Three stars, 41st-best wide receiver, 45th-best player in Florida

Tate is another slightly realistic target of the big group of Florida players that visited, but he boasts offers from Florida, Florida State, Michigan, South Carolina and Michigan, among others. He's a bigger wide receiver, at 6'4" and 195 pounds, who would fit perfectly with Moore and Davenport in Maryland's class.

How important is he? 5/10. Tate would be a very nice addition to the class, but Maryland has other priorities at wide receiver and from Florida.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 3/10. That group of offers is mighty impressive, and while Tate spoke highly of Maryland after his visit, it seems likely he'll end up elsewhere. If Davis or one of the other Floridians commits first, however, Tate may look to join in.

JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Dorman (S.C.)

Ratings: Three stars, 50th-best wide receiver, ninth-best player in South Carolina

How important is he? 7/10. Maryland has higher rated targets at wide receiver, but Arcega-Whiteside is the best prospect that Maryland has a good shot with. Landing him would secure two highly-rated receivers in the class, along with D.J. Moore.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 5/10. The big competition right now is Wake Forest, but Michigan State and Stanford are also making late runs. The Terps have been in on JJA-W for quite some time now, and reportedly impressed him on a recent visit.

Lawrence Cager, Calvert Hall College (Md.)

Ratings: Three stars, 77th-best wide receiver, 16th-best player in Maryland

How important is he? 5/10. It all depends on how the chips fall around him. If Lewis, Davis and Tate all end up elsewhere (more likely than not), this can be bumped up to a seven. Cager is the top receiver left in the state, and securing hometown kids is the priority for this staff.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 3/10. Cager is attending an Ohio State camp on July 25, and if he picks up an offer many expect him to commit on the spot. After receiving a (late) Maryland offer, many expected him to pledge to the Terps, but he has not even mentioned the school in quite some time. It's possible his offer dried out with Maryland's other commitments at the position and the other high-profile targets, but at this point we expect him to land elsewhere.

Kalif Jackson, Duncan U. Fletcher (Fla.)

Ratings: Three stars, 91st-best wide receiver, 95th-best player in Florida

How important is he? 6/10. The other targets on this list are a bigger priority, but Jackson does have one key advantage that keeps him out of the "backup options" section: he's 6'5" and 200 pounds.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 4/10. Maryland's been in on Jackson for a while, but Missouri, Vanderbilt, Rutgers and Georgia Tech appear to be the favorites.

The backup options:

If Maryland can get any two players from the targets listed above, it's a success. That being said, there are some fine other alternatives. Akile Davis, Kelvin McKnight, Devin Phelps and David Gardner all hold offers from the Terps, but would likely have to wait to commit until most of the higher-touted targets decide.

Tight end

How many more will Maryland take? 0-1

Who's left:

Amir Ealey, Coatesville Area (Penn.)

Rating: Three stars, 30th-best tight end, 20th-best player in Pennsylvania

How important is he? 8/10. Maryland has a need at tight end in this class, and Ealey has by far the most promising combination of skill and interest in the Terps. He's also teammates with Jay Stocker, Maryland's top remaining safety target. That being said, tight end has not been important in Maryland's offensive system -- yet. That could change if they bring in a promising talent like Ealey.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 5/10. Ealey is reportedly high on Maryland, Syracuse, West Virginia and Virginia, and I like Maryland's chances out of that group. Like Cager, however, he's attending an Ohio State camp later this month, and I think he would commit with an offer from the Buckeyes.

Chris Cunningham, Atlantic Coast (Fla.)

Rating: Three stars, 54th-best tight end, 197th-best player in Florida

How important is he? 5/10. Maryland needs a tight end, and Ealey's connection to Stocker makes him the more important grab. That being said, Cunningham has an offer for a reason, and Florida athletes are never a bad thing to take.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 2/10. Virginia Tech and Louisville are reportedly the favorites, but Maryland made his cut to 11 schools.

The backup options:

Kolby Williams and Damonte Scott-Terrell. Both are in-state prospects (Williams at the Landon School, Scott-Terrell at Wise) and would be projects.

Offensive tackle

Committed:

Will McClain, Middletown (Md.), three stars, 139th-best offensive tackle, 31st-best player in Maryland

How many more will Maryland take? Likely just one.

Who's left:

Isaiah Prince, Eleanor Roosevelt (Md.)

Rating: Four stars, ninth-best offensive tackle, best player in Maryland

How important is he? 10/10. Maryland landed the top player in the state during the last recruiting cycle, an offensive tackle named Prince. Can they do it again?

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 8/10. The Terps have long been rumored to be the favorites, but Prince is finally visiting the bigger players on his list. Ohio State and Auburn have already received stops, while Alabama and Florida are expected to as well. Things could change as he sees some of these programs, but I still feel he ends up staying home.

Tony Pilato, Hempfield Area Senior (Penn.)

Rating: Three stars, 112th-best offensive tackle in the nation, 25th-best player in Pennsylvania

How important is he? 3/10. Maryland has made it clear that they want to add as many quality linemen as possible, but Prince would likely complete the class at tackle.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 2/10. Pilato announces this Thursday, but Maryland likely only has eyes for Prince at this point. Pittsburgh is the overwhelming favorite here.

The backup options:

Travis Kendle and Jack Lasher, two local kids with great frames but plenty of work to be done technique-wise.

Offensive guard/center

Committed:

E.J. Donahue, Linganore (Md.), four stars, 19th-best offensive guard, seventh-best player in Maryland

Ellis McKennie, McDonogh (Md.), (film review), three stars, 72nd-best offensive guard, 27th-best player in Maryland

Mason Zimmerman, Anthony Wayne (Ohio), three stars, 15th-best center, 60th-best player in Ohio

How many more will Maryland take? Likely just one.

Who's left:

Quarvez Boulware, Friendship Academy (D.C.)

Rating: Four stars, 15th-best offensive guard, third-best player in D.C.

How important is he? 10/10. Maryland already has a blue-chipper at guard in Donahue (who may move to tackle), but Boulware is one of very few blue-chip prospects left that the Terps have a good chance with. The era of Friendship's dominance in D.C. may be over with head coach Aazar Abdul-Rahim's departure to Alabama, and Boulware may be the Terps' last chance to grab a blue-chipper from the local power.

How likely is a Maryland pledge? 7/10. There are plenty of Friendship players at Maryland already -- Derwin Gray, Yannick Ngakoue, Jermaine Carter, Cavon Walker and Albert Reid all come from the school -- and Boulware has spoken highly of the Terps in the past. He's spoken more highly of Wake Forest, however, and has offers from Auburn, Florida and Florida State. I still mark the Terps as favorites, but it could be a battle.

The backup options:

Shamar Hardin, Mike White and Obadiah Bennett. Hardin and White have both visited Maryland, while Hardin and Bennett are both local prospects. Landing Hardin would go against Maryland's norm of ignoring Eastern Christian recruits (a school with questionable academic standards, to say the least), and there hasn't been much going on with the other two. My guess is Boulware or bust.