from Dave Lomonico of the Terrapin Times
It may be a dead recruiting period, but the Terps are on a roll with four-star All-American guards. For the second time in the last few weeks, a touted DMV lineman announced he’d be sticking around town for college and joining head coach D.J. Durkin’s program.
In front of a live television audience Jan. 2 at the Under Armour All-American Game, DeMatha’s (Hyattsville, Md.) Terrance Davis pulled on a Maryland hat, effectively joining fellow All-American guard Richard Merritt (Carroll/Washington, D.C.) and three other Under Armour participants currently pledged to the hometown school.
Davis, the sixth-ranked guard in the nation per Scout.com, is the third recruit who committed under the Durkin regime, preceded by Merritt and Australian punter Wade Lees.
“Coach Durkin has huge, huge plans for Maryland and wants to build a winning program early. He has a lot of positive ideas about changing the mentality of the team,” said the 6-foot-2, 310-pound Davis, who also considered Michigan and Florida. “He’s very energetic, very passionate and he’s bringing life into the program.
“Coming in, with [Maryland] on the decline and bringing the program back up to glory in your home state, that’s a great opportunity for me.”
Davis met UMD’s new headman for the first time Dec. 4, 2015, the two engaging in a productive 45-minute sitdown. Then, a week later, Davis, along with several current Terps’ commits — including two of the DeMatha guard’s teammates, LoLo Harrison and D.J. Turner — took his College Park, Md., official visit.
It was those two trips that sold Davis on Durkin and the staff he was assembling. At the time, the new assistants included D.C.-area recruiter Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, defensive coordinator Scott Shafer and defensive line coach Mike London.
“The energy is definitely what hit me about Coach Durkin,” said Davis, who was considered a heavy Michigan lean up until his last couple treks through College Park. “He’s really fiery; the fire and energy were legit. That was very impressive to me and caught my eye. And I knew Coach Durkin a little bit when he was at Michigan, and I know all the [Wolverines’] defensive [recruits] really liked him. I know he’s a great, great defensive mind.
“I still want to find out who the O-line coach is going to be, but Coach Aazaar, I’ve known him for a long time. He’s been telling me I can do everything I want to at Maryland and don’t have to go to Alabama [Abdul-Rahim’s former employer] to get it done. He’s saying I can do great things here and help get Maryland to the top. Then I liked coach London; I really liked his presence and what he’s about. And Coach Shaffer, he’s known me for a longtime and was looking at me for years up at Syracuse. It’s really a great staff coming in.”
Apparently Davis’ mother, who has her son’s ear, readily took to the staff as well. She joined Davis on the official visit and had a long discussion with Durkin about Maryland’s direction.
“My mom really enjoyed meeting the coaches and learning what Maryland will be about moving forward,” Davis said. “She does really like Michigan, but she likes Maryland a lot too. She likes Coach Durkin a lot, she likes his character, and she believes he’s going to turn the program around. They have a great plan to develop me at Maryland.”
Davis had even more compliments for Durkin — namely his recruiting strategy. Like ex-interim coach Mike Locksley, Durkin is emphasizing the DMV, reaching out to numerous D.C.-area high school coaches and prospects. Durkin apparently told Davis he wants the program’s foundation to consist of nearby talents.
Todd
And if reports are accurate, Durkin has hired another coach with local (and Florida) ties Chris Beatty as WR Coach. Beatty is 41 and has moved around a lot but has worked with Mike London.
· 11/12/2019