Welcome to the new biggest day of the year for college football recruiting.
For the first time, recruits can sign their national letters of intent during this upcoming three-day period, which runs until Friday. Most college teams, Maryland included, expect to lock down the majority of their recruiting classes during this new window. There’s still the traditional signing period starting in February, but that is expected to hold way less drama this cycle than before.
Maryland enters Wednesday with 22 verbal commitments and the No. 20-ranked class in the country, per 247Sports team rankings at the start of the day. The majority of these players are expected to sign in the coming hours. Two uncommitted Maryland targets are also announcing their decisions Wednesday: three-star wide receiver Jeshaun Jones (who seems likely to come aboard) at 11 a.m. ET and five-star defensive end Eyabi Anoma (who doesn’t) at 2 p.m. ET.
We’ll update this space as signatures come in, decisions are announced and more. Stay tuned.
Update: Our first bombshell actually comes from a 2015 recruit, as former No. 3 overall prospect Byron Cowart is transferring to Maryland. He’s technically a junior college recruit this cycle, so this actually improves the Terps’ class ranking.
Another update: All 20 recruits that were expected to sign Wednesday were official by 9:30 a.m. ET. Cowart makes it 21, and Jones could make it 22 before long.
Another commit: Here comes Jeshaun Jones!
But not this one: Eyabi Anoma is Alabama-bound, as had been widely expected for some time.
Friday update: Grad transfers are making decisions around this time, too. Linebacker Tre Watson is coming from Illinois to Maryland.
Here’s the full list of commits entering the day (ordered by 247Sports Composite ratings):
- Austin Fontaine, 4-star defensive tackle, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) — SIGNED
- Jaelyn Duncan, 4-star offensive tackle, St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) — SIGNED
- Noah Boykin, 4-star defensive back, H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.) — Signing in February
- Evan Gregory, 3-star offensive guard, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) — SIGNED
- Darryl Jones, 3-star wide receiver, Princesse Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.) — SIGNED
- T.J. Bradley, 3-star offensive tackle, Lackawanna C.C. (Scranton, Pa.) — SIGNED
- Tyler Baylor, 3-star defensive end, Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) — SIGNED
- Chigoziem Okonkwo, 3-star tight end, Hillgrove (Powder Springs, Ga.) — SIGNED
- Tyler DeSue, 3-star quarterback, Bishop Sullivan (Virginia Beach, Va.) — SIGNED
- Durrell Nchami, 3-star linebacker, Paint Branch (Burtonsville, Md.) — SIGNED
- Vincent Flythe, 3-star cornerback, H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.) — SIGNED
- Jalen Alexander, 3-star defensive tackle, Western Branch (Chesapeake, Va.) — SIGNED
- Dontay Demus Jr., 3-star wide receiver, Friendship Academy (Washington, D.C.) — SIGNED
- Nihym Anderson, 3-star linebacker, Vineland South (Vineland, N.J.) — SIGNED
- Spencer Anderson, 3-star offensive tackle, Bishop McNamara (District Heights, Md.) — SIGNED
- Fa’Najae Gotay, 3-star linebacker, North Fort Myers (Fort Myers, Fla.) — SIGNED
- Jordan Mosley, 3-star linebacker, Haverford (Havertown, Pa.) — SIGNED
- Maleak Bryant, 3-star tight end, Mays (Atlanta, Ga.) — Signing in February
- Raymond Boone, 3-star defensive back, Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, Md.) — SIGNED
- Chance Campbell, 3-star linebacker, Calvert Hall (Towson, Md.) — SIGNED
- Brian Cobbs, 3-star wide receiver, Hayfield (Quantico, Va.) — SIGNED
- Joseph Petrino, 3-star kicker, Richmond Hill (Richmond Hill, Ga.) — SIGNED
*Comments on this post are closed so the page loads quickly on mobile devices. Check out our open thread here.*