The Maryland football program offered a scholarship on Sunday night to Johnathan Lovett, a 2017 running back and safety prospect from Cherokee High School in Marlton, N.J.
The Terps are recruiting Lovett primarily as a running back – their primary recruiter on him is new running backs coach Anthony Tucker – but he said he's open to playing either side of the ball in college.
"Wherever they put me," Lovett said Monday night. I''ll play either side."
Lovett said it was "exciting" to get a Maryland offer. He has two others, from Old Dominion and Monmouth, and Maryland is his first offer in any of the Power 5 conferences.
So, what does Lovett like about Maryland?
"Everything. The coaching staff, the way the program's set up, everything," he said. "The uniforms, too."
Lovett's recruiting hasn't become a high-profile affair at this stage, but he's an apparently explosive runner on the edge:
And exhibit B:
Both GIFs via CONTENT LLC.
Lovett visited College Park with his team two weeks ago. Lovett said Maryland had mostly communicated with his head coach, P.J. Mehigan during his recruitment so far, but he expects to take an official visit to Maryland on his own to learn more.
Playing in the Big Ten, Lovett said, is a key selling point for him with Maryland.
"It's a Big Ten school now, and that's real competitive," he said. "It's the most competitive league in college football, so that'd be fun, playing in that division."
Lovett is unranked on the 247Sports Composite. Here's longer tape: