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The Maryland Terrapins coaching staff hosted their annual Big Show camp this past weekend, which featured some of the most highly-rated high school prospects in the country. The event started last season and featured five-star Florida prospects Byron Cowart and George Campbell as well as eventual commitments Quarvez Boulware and D.J. Moore. This year's event resulted in an immediate commitment.
Washington, D.C. (H.D. Woodson High School) athlete Parnell Motley verbally committed to the Terps becoming the third of four defensive backs to commit to Maryland in four days. The 6'1, 170-pound athlete chose Maryland over offers from some of the top programs in the country. Although he can play either defensive back or wide receiver, Motley projects more as a cornerback in college.
The most recent prospect to pledge to the Terrapins was Upper Marlboro, MD (Federick Douglass) safety Devin Butler. Butler, a 6'0, 181-pound defender committed to Maryland on June 28th after receiving an offer from them on June 25th. Be on the lookout for a story on his commitment.
Sykesville, MD (South Carroll High School) athlete Silas Kelly pledged to the Terps shortly after receiving an offer from them this past week. Kelly joins fellow South Carroll teammate Brian Plummer to commit to the Terps. Both prospects are in the class of 2016.
The final defensive back to commit was Ramsey, NJ (Don Bosco Prep) cornerback Tyrone Hill. Hill heads into his senior season as the 126th-ranked cornerback and the 37th-ranked player in the state of New Jersey. At 6'0, 190 pounds, Hill possesses good size for the position and will provide much needed depth.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Terps lost out on four recruits, including two local four-star prospects.
Baltimore, MD (Gilman) defensive tackle Ellison Jordan verbally committed to Penn State this past Friday. Jordan, the 5th-ranked player in the state of Maryland according to 247Sports, narrowed his list down to Penn State, Maryland and Virginia Tech before making his decision. This is a huge loss for the Terps, as this would have helped solidify the "Stay Home Movement" and strengthen an area of need.
Fellow Gilman prospect Devery Hamilton pledged to the Michigan Wolverines. The 6'6, 290-pound offensive tackle chose Michigan over Maryland and Stanford. Maryland wasn't expected to land Hamilton, as Michigan and Stanford were labeled as favorites towards the end of his recruitment. The loss still comes as a solid blow, as yet another Gilman prospect pledges elsewhere and there is no such thing as having too many linemen - especially in the Big Ten.
Charlotte, NC (Independence) defensive tackle Christian Colon, who labeled the Terps as one of his finalists, pledged to Penn State. The massive prospect stands at 6'3, 325 pounds and ranks as a three-star prospect, per 247Sports. Shane Simmons mixed with Ellison Jordan and Colon have the Nittany Lions ranked 8th overall in the 247Sports recruiting class rankings.
New Canaan, CT (St. Luke's School) athlete Jacob Morgenstern verbally committed to Duke. The 6'4, 210-pound outside linebacker, running back committed three days after unofficially visiting Maryland. Morgenstern is the 89th-ranked athlete and 8th-ranked player in the state of Connecticut, according to his 247Sports profile.
New Offers: (All stats according to 247Sports Composite)
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Upper Marlboro, MD (Frederick Douglass) safety Devin Butler.
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Sykesville, MD (South Carroll) defensive back Silas Kelly
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Virginia Beach, VA (Frank W. Cox) high school 2017 defensive end Jordan Williams.
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Shoreham, NY (Shoreham -wading River) 2017 defensive end Ethan Wiederkehr. Both Williams and Wiederkehr are unranked. Maryland was the first to offer Wiederkehr.
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2018 Matawan, NJ (Old Bridge) quarterback Artur Sitkowski. The 6'4, 205-pound quarterback is the first quarterback in the class of 2018 to be offered by Maryland
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Hyattsville, MD (Dematha Catholic) 2019 wide receiver DeMarcco Hellams. Perhaps a bit unusual for coach Edsall to offer a prospect who hasn't played a single down of high school football, Hellams stands at 6'1, 175 pounds, and is listed as a wide receiver, cornerback. His GYFL football highlights can be found here.
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Hyatsville, MD (Dematha Catholic) 2017 defensive lineman Chase Young. Young stands at 6'5, 220 pounds, and holds offers from East Carolina, NC State, Penn State and Illinois, per Chris Bengal of terrapinstationmd.com
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Fellow Dematha Catholic 2018 defensive lineman Austin Fontaine also received a Maryland offer, per Bengal. The 6'2, 277-pound defender holds two offers - Georgia was the first to offer him, according to 247Sports.
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Marietta, GA (Lassiter) cornerback, safety Derrik Allen. The 6'1, 185-pounder also received an offer from Virginia, which totaled his seventh offer.
Other News:
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As a reminder, the Avalon School senior-to-be Trevon Diggs plans on announcing his college decision on July 4th. The younger Diggs is listed as a wide receiver, cornerback but the Terps are pursuing him primarily as a defensive back.
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According to Rivals.com, Imhotep Institute (PA) tight end Naseir Upshur announced a commitment date of August 8th. The 6'2, 233-pound tight visited Michigan this past week and narrowed his list down to eight. Those schools - in no order - include Maryland, Michigan, Miami (FL), USC, South Carolina, Temple, Alabama and Arizona State. Terps fans shouldn't get too hung up on the idea of hearing Haskins-to-Upshur, as his crystal ball has been trending towards Michigan since early June.
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Clairton, PA (Clairton) running back, defensive back Lamont Wade visited Maryland this past weekend. Wade told Testudo Times in an interview that he wanted to make visiting Maryland this summer a priority. Maryland is recruiting him primarily as a running back, but have been flexible, as Wade is also a standout defender. Wade will be at Ohio State this Friday for their Friday Night Lights camp, per Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts.com.
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Annapolis, MD (Broadneck Senior) linebacker Ali'I Niumatalolo visited Penn State for their Friday Night camp and then Maryland on Saturday. The 6'2, 220-pound linebacker holds an offer from UCONN.