A look at Maryland football’s 2020 big board ahead of early National Signing Day

Mike Locksley and his staff have hit the recruiting trails hard to acquire new targets across the board since the end of his first season as Maryland football’s head coach.

Changes will continue to be made at every position, but here is a look at where the Terps stand at each position with the early signing period coming up on Dec. 18-20.

*Maryland commitments are in italics.

Quarterback

Jeff Sims

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars (0.9186)
High school: Sandalwood
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.

The deal: Maryland has made a late push and a good impression on the four-star QB. Out of his top three, it is very unlikely he chooses Florida State (he de-committed), so look for a decision between Georgia Tech and Maryland on Wednesday. The Under Armour All-American is set to announce his destination at 9 a.m.

Running back

Peny Boone

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8883)
High school: Martin Luther King
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.

The deal: Boone is committed. He plans to sign during the early period and will enroll in the summer.

Ebony Jackson

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8817)
High school: Cherokee
Hometown: Marietta, Ga.

The deal: Jackson is committed. He plans to enroll early.

Kyjuan Herndon

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8386)
High school: Trinity Christian Academy
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.

The deal: Herndon is one of the newest commitments in the class. He still seems solid despite a late flurry of offers.

Alante Brown

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars (0.9100)
Prep school: St. Thomas More
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.

The deal: Brown is the top prep school player in the 2020 class. Maryland was able to host him for an official visit on Dec. 6 and is one of the only schools recruiting him as a running back (listed as a wide receiver). He will be making his decision and signing Wednesday night, with Indiana, Michigan State, Nebraska and Virginia Tech also in the running.

Wide receiver

Corey Dyches

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8713)
High school: Potomac
Hometown: Oxon Hill, Md.

The deal: Dyches was the first commitment in the 2020 class. He is solid to the Terps.

Deajuan McDougle

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8689)
High school: Deerfied Beach
Hometown: Deerfield Beach, Fla.

The deal: McDougle is committed. He was a surprising get for Locksley and Co. and has remained in the fold.

Nick DeGennaro

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8389)
High school: Hun School
Hometown: Princeton, N.J.

The deal: DeGennaro committed in the summer after receiving a camp offer. He took his official visit last weekend and will sign with Maryland Wednesday.

Marcus Fleming

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars (0.9093)
Prep school: Northwestern
Hometown: Miami, Fla.

The deal: Fleming has had a quiet recruitment, but plans to sign early on Dec. 18. Maryland joins Georgia, Florida, Florida State and Nebraska in the race for Fleming’s signature.

Devin Chandler

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8194)
Prep school: William Amos Hough
Hometown: Cornelius, NC.

The deal: Chandler is a prospect who landed on Maryland’s radar late in the recruiting process. He will sign Wednesday and choose between Maryland, Virginia and Wisconsin. Heading into the early signing period, he took official visits to all three schools in the past two weeks.

Tight end

The deal: Maryland has been gauging interest with a number of tight end prospects, but does not seem to be in a position to sign one during the early period. Look for the staff to try and focus in on one if they don’t feel the transfer market will be strong at this position.

Offensive line

Santana Saunders

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8469)
High school: C.H. Flowers
Hometown: Upper Marlboro, Md.

The deal: Saunders is committed. He will not sign early as he is working on academic requirements, but is still solid with his Maryland pledge.

Khris Love

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8452)
High school: American Heritage
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The deal: Love flipped from USF to Maryland. He will sign Wednesday.

Delmar Glaze

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8369)
High school: West Mecklenburg
Hometown: Charlotte, NC.

The deal: Glaze is committed. He went under the radar for the most part, but the Maryland staff found him and got him on board.

Ja’Khi Green

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8351)
High school: St. Frances Academy
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.

The deal: Green is fully committed. He will sign early and enroll early to get acclimated to the college life.

Zach Perkins

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8268)
High school: Berkeley Prep
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.

The deal: Perkins is one of the latest Terp commits. He officially visited and is solid with his pledge.

Johari Branch

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8236)
Junior college: Independence CC
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.

The deal: Branch is committed. He is solid with his pledge.

Kobe Rios

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8378)
Junior college: Iowa Western CC
Hometown: Rock Island, Ill.

The deal: Maryland was recruiting Rios hard and hoped to plan an official visit for this past weekend, but an issue came up and the visit did not happen. The Terrapins could get back in the race before February if needed.

Alex Atcavage

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8288)
High school: IMG Academy
Hometown: Bradenton, Fla.

The deal: Atcavage was a longtime Florida State commit who recently backed off of his pledge. He took a trip to College Park when he was up in the area with IMG Academy and could be a name to watch for in February.

Defensive tackle

Ami Finau

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8495)
Junior college: Independence CC
Hometown: Euless, TX

The deal: Finau is committed. He will certainly play a factor up the middle right away.

Tre Smith

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8268)
High school: Mountain Ridge
Hometown: Frostburg, Md.

The deal: Smith is committed. He will not enroll early, but is excited to be a Terp.

Defensive end

Riyad Wilmot

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8534)
High school: St. Thomas Aquinas
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The deal: Wilmot is one of the newest commitments. He comes from a national program in ST. Thomas Aquinas and could be a factor early.

Jerzhan Newton

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8519)
High school: Clearwater Central Catholic
Hometown: Clearwater, Fla.

The deal: Newton committed to Maryland in August. He has since visited other programs and gauged interest. He will be one to watch for on Wednesday.

Mosiah Nasili-Kite

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8485)
Junior college: Independence CC
Hometown: Puyallup, Wash.

The deal: Nasili-Kite is committed. He is a bounce back that originally was in the Washington Huskies’ program.

Fadil Diggs

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars (0.9349)
High school: Woodrow Wilson
Hometown: Camden, NJ.

The deal: Diggs seems solid with his pledge to Texas A&M, but coming off an official visit to Maryland last weekend, he has been trying to build suspense. He will sign Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Linebacker

Ruben Hyppolite II

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars (0.9065)
High school: McArthur
Hometown: Hollywood, Fla.

The deal: Hyppolite remains 100 percent committed. He will sign Wednesday and enroll early. The prized recruit and leader of this class — he was recruited by the likes of Alabama, Miami, Auburn and Baylor — plans to be in College Park in January.

TJ Kautai

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8241)
Junior college: Independence CC
Hometown: Euless, TX.

The deal: Kautai is committed. He will enroll early.

Frankie Burgess

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8111)
High school: Pahokee
Hometown: Pahokee, Fla.

The deal: Burgess has been a late target for the Terps and recently decommitted from USF. He was on campus this past weekend and could make things official in the early period.

Cornerback

Tarheeb Still

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8646)
High school: Timber Creek
Hometown: Sicklerville, NJ.

The deal: Still committed to Maryland back in June. Things went rather quiet in his recruitment as of late, but he is expected to sign with Maryland Wednesday.

Devyn King

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8431)
High school: Junipero Serra
Hometown: Gardena, CA.

The deal: King is still committed. He plans to sign early and enroll early.

Shane Mosley

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8376)
High school: Haverford
Hometown: Havertown, Pa.

The deal: Mosley is committed. He will sign early and enroll early as he battles back from a knee injury during his senior season.

Geovonte’ Howard

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8775)
Junior college: Kilgore
Hometown: Missouri City, TX.

The deal: Howard took an official visit to Maryland on the weekend of Dec. 6 and his top five includes Maryland, Ole Miss, Kansas State, Iowa State and Charlotte. He will make his commitment announcement Tuesday at 7 p.m. and then sign once the early period opens up on Wednesday.

Jakorian Bennett

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8417)
Junior College: Hutchinson C.C.
Hometown: Mobile, Al.

The deal: Bennett is a recruit who gained interest from the Maryland staff as the 2019 season wore on. He visited College Park with his fifth and final visit last weekend, and he could put pen to paper Wednesday. He is deciding between the Terps, Louisville, Mississippi State, SMU, Nebraska and Ole Miss.

Safety

Beau Brade

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8594)
High school: River Hill
Hometown: Clarksville, Md.

The deal: Brade is fully committed. He will sign on Wednesday.

Glen Miller

247Sports Composite rating: 3 stars (0.8369)
High school: Ridgeview
Hometown: Orange Park, Fla.

The deal: Miller is committed. He will likely sign early.

Osita Smith

2019 247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars (0.9030)
Prep school: Milford Academy
Hometown: Columbia, Md.

The deal: Maryland was able to sneak in a commitment from Smith just before the early signing period. He previously signed with West Virginia in 2019, but did not qualify.