Javarie Johnson – Unfortunately, after taking all of two weeks to switch his commitment from Miami to Maryland and quickly enrolling in spring classes, Johnson has left the school. I can’t say this is is a huge shocker. Rather, it’s a huge disappointment. Johnson was the headliner in the class, a stud four-star recruit, the top-ranked player in DC and a legitimately terrifying pass rusher that looked capable of starting right out of the gate. However, the reason he switched his commitment to UMD in the first place was academically motivated – his grades weren’t good enough to enroll early at Miami, so we let him. Then, he couldn’t handle his first semester of classes, and dropped out, or the more politically correct way of saying that when discussing athletes, decided to transfer. It’s a shame, but this was sort of his destiny from Day One. Hopefully he’ll get his head on straight eventually and figure out a subject that motivates him.

David Mackall – Described by his coach at Fork Union in Va. as a “Merriman type,” Mackall has

He looks ready

the chance to be an instant impact player as a pass rusher. Although the Terps were fourth in the ACC in sacks, led by Adrian Moten’s six, a well-known football mantra is you can never have too many pass-rushers. Mackall at the moment is a little undersized for a defensive end, but that was his position in high school and he wreaked havoc, piling up 12 sacks in his final season. He enrolled early for spring practices, so by the time the season rolls around, he should know the playbook and be a contributor from the get-go. Don’t look for him to crack the starting lineup this year, though, with a logjam of the best kind at linebacker and him still being too small for the line. 2011 should be Year of The Mackall, wherever he plays.

Titus Till – I had a chance to talk to Titus a few months back around the signing deadline, and I immediately took a shine to him. First of all, his phone’s ringback is the Maryland Victory song, which was awesome. He’s from PG county, has rooted for Maryland his whole life, and as soon as Maryland offered him a scholarship, he took it and never looked back. Regardless of how well he plays, he will represent the Terps with loyalty and pride, so we have that to look forward to (how rare is it nowadays?). What else do we have to look forward to? A punishing safety with great size and a nose for the ball. At 6-1, 190 with a frame to add more muscle, he’s ideally suited for run support, but is also an asset in the passing game. He provides much needed depth in the secondary, and can back up either Kenny Tate or Antwine Perez right away. He should see double-digit tackles this year, and more than a few absolute de-cleatings.

Sal Conaboy – Yes, we’ve reached the offensive line. Conaboy is a highly-rated guard prospect (Scout’s #12, Rivals #17, ESPN’s #21 guard), with great size (he’s 6-5) but needs to add some bulk (only 255 lbs.). The guy is an absolute beast in the running game, with great feet, a knack for pulling, and hits like a mofo. Scout.com described him as having a “bit of a nasty streak,” which sounds like exactly what we’ve been lacking on the line. He’s still a year away because he needs to pack on the weight (eating the Maryland dining hall food will certainly help), but when he gets his shot, I doubt he lets it go. ESPN said he has the size to play at major levels of competition, so ACC football should be a piece of cake for him (zing!).

Desmond Kearse – If his name is familiar to you, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. He’s cousins with Jevon, otherwise known as “The Freak.” Much like his cousin, Desmond is a pass rusher extraordinaire. He accumulated 41 sacks his last two years at Dunbar HS in Florida (thank you Don Brown), thanks to his ridiculous speed. As a defensive end, he relies entirely on his 4.5 speed, which is lucky since he only weighs 180 pounds. There’s no way he ever plays in the trenches in college, and there’s talk they might push him all the way back to safety. That could work, but I see him more as a pass-rushing specialist on third downs from the OLB spot.

Rahsaan Moore – Although a highly-regard high school defensive end at Henry A. Wise HS in Upper Marlboro (teammates with Till), Moore will play fullback at Maryland. It’s hard to imagine a fullback going anywhere and feeling pressure, but Moore will come in with a chance to win the starting job outright, trying to replace the departed Cory Jackson. He has some competition in the form of junior Taylor Watson, but even if Moore loses out initially, he will eventually start for the Terps. He hasn’t been playing fullback for long, but he has great size and instincts. Being a former defensive end means he will have no fear in blocking defensive linemen and opening up holes for the armada of Terrapin running backs.

Next time: The returning role players…

Orlando “Bino” Ranson was born in Baltimore in 1974 just like yours truly. He’s known as an excellent recruiter and I’m sure his Baltimore roots will only improve that reputation.

It also goes without saying that the many of the recruits that Bino was engaged with at Xavier will now consider Maryland as an option.  Given that Chuck D was not able to do the same upon leaving for the Citadel; I think this hire only benefits the Terps.

I love the recruiting reputation and the Baltimore roots.  Congrats, Gary on landing a good one.

The best information I could find comes from this NBE article.  The article claims Jordan has offers from Wake, Kentucky, GT among others.  ESPN rates the kid as a 40 on a scale of 100.  It seems to me that there is lots of conflicting information and no word has come from Allen or the University.

Maryland is becoming famous for these out of the blue signings (See Pe’shon Howard and Terrell Stoglin).  I can’t say I’m a fan.  Just once, I’d like to see us nab a top 10 recruit.

This class is pretty good by normal Maryland standards. Teams that go to bowl games and are in the hunt for the division title. Considering we had our worst season in program history, the job the coaches did on selling the program is nothing short of spectacular.

Now, when one looks at the class we’ve assembled, the first thing that jumps out is probably the lack of four-and-five-star talent. We have two four-star commits on Scout and four on Rivals, and no five-star guys anywhere. That’s fine, we weren’t getting five-star talent when we went to the Orange Bowl.

Our best recruit is Javarie Johnson, an OLB from D.C. He was a totally unexpected commit, because he de-committed from Miami and switched to Maryland almost immediately to be closer to home. There’s no chance of another switch because he’s enrolled for the spring.

In case you thought there was a typo, that’s Miami, Florida. We stole a recruit from the best school for producing NFL talent east of USC. This guy fits the description of a Miami player too, which is to say he’s just the definition of athleticism. 6’4”, 208 lbs., he runs a 4.5 40 and has a 32-inch vertical. Yeah, he’s an athlete.

Combine him with our most recent commit, Desmond Kearse (Jevon Kearse’s cousin), who is going to play the “rover” position. Basically he’s going to be like Ray Lewis but on the outside. He’s 6’2”, a little undersized (only 185 lbs.), but absolutely flies around the field. He runs an electronically timed 4.5 40. In terms of hand clocking, that’s like a 4.3 (The rule is hand-clocked times at the combine are rounded up by .26 seconds).

That’s two guys playing on opposite sides who are both freakishly athletic and a little raw. Perfect, we don’t need them next year we can redshirt them. Linebacker is a position of strength. With Adrian Moten, Alex Wujciak and Demetrius Hartsfield, those guys can learn, bulk up and get ready to take the reins in 2011.

Those are just two guys. We’ve also recruited a Rivals 4-star defensive end and defensive back: David Mackall and Titus Till respectively. Till might be the best player out of Maryland this year, and he can step in immediately and start if necessary, which is good because we’ve lost the most talent in our defensive backfield then anywhere else.

There’s also Scout 4-star prospect Tyler Smith, a quarterback who could be the most important recruit in the whole class. If Jamarr Robinson doesn’t work out, he can step in, and is easily the most skilled quarterback on our roster already.

In addition to all those studs, we added a bunch of big bodies to the lines on both sides of the ball. Four offensive linemen, four defensive ends and two defensive tackles.
Nothing spectacular (one four star, a bunch of three stars and a couple of two stars), but last year, we didn’t even have bodies. Don Brown’s a great coach and Ralph knows how to coach a line.

That’s really all I have in terms of dropping knowledge. We’re going to win more than two games next year. I’ll guarantee it. Everyone has another year under the belt, other than Turner, we’re not losing anyone important. We may not make a bowl game, but the future is looking bright.

I’m not sure Franklin is the right guy to take the team as far as they can go, but he’s a nice guy, Yow and the Fridge love him, and the alumni seem to believe in those two. I’m going to let the next season dictate my feelings when I feel he has a team worth trotting out on the field.

If any readers are in the know regarding how the coaching staff views their chances with Ross, I’d love to hear it.  I guess I’m just not ready to give up on him.

As far as Howard, here’s what ESPN has to say:

Class of 2010 shooting guard Pe’Shon Howard gave Maryland a verbal commitment on Saturday, ESPN.com confirmed with him earlier today.

“I just committed to Maryland today”, Howard told ESPN’s National Recruiting Director Paul Biancardi. “I picked UM because of the chance to play in the ACC and also because they’re losing Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez next year so there’ll be oppurtunities for playing time on the perimeter.

“Plus the chance to play for a legendary coach in Gary Williams helped.”

Howard also had offers from UCLA, Georgia Tech, South Florida, Virginia and Northwestern.

“Maryland is getting a gritty and tough perimeter player who’s improved each year he’s played for the highly successful coach Steve Smith at Oak Hill,” Biancardi said. “Pe’Shon’s game has evolved in a steady fashion the last couple of years.

“He’s excellent in transition and can finish at the rim on the break. In the half-court, he has a good pull-up jumper and an improving 3-point shot. His strength is beating people off the dribble but as evidenced by his performance last week at the Les Schwab Invitational where he knocked down 14 3’s in four games he is improving in that depatment. He’s a talented offensive player who plays within the framework of the team.”

Biancardi went on to talk about improvements in Howard’s game.

“Offensively he’s a two guard with some point guard abilities but he’ll need to make better decisions with the ball,” he offered. “On the defensive side, Pe’Shon can guard a one or a two and he’s adept at anticipating passes and gambling for steals. At the next level he’ll need to be more careful in these situations as players are quicker with the ball.”

Maryland is getting not only a talented player but also a terrific student, according to Biancardi.

“Pe’Shon is a high level athlete as well as an outstanding student and an overall great kid.

“The addition of Howard to an already strong class will make the Terps deeper and better,” Biancardi concluded. “Following the decommitment of Terrence Ross (Portland, Ore./Montrose Christian) last week, Gary Williams and his staff wasted no in landing a talented perimeter player.”

Howard is averaging 15 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds per game for the 18-1 Oak Hill Academy Warriors.

14 3’s over a weekend tournament?  I will take it!!

I don’t know what to make of this.  I would guess that Pankey will not sign if Harris picks the Terps because he won’t start over Harris.  However, what happens if Pankey decides to sign after his visit on the 16th and Harris hasn’t picked a school yet? Would we have to bow out of Harris sweepstakes?  I can’t remember how many scholarships we have for 2010, but I think we only have 1 left.

Maryland has established a solid foundation to its 2010 recruiting class with commitments from shooting guard Terrence Ross (No. 43 overall), forward Mychal Parker (No. 53) and guard Terrell Stoglin (No. 122).

This three-man class presently holds the No. 7 spot in the national team recruiting rankings. Despite being No. 7 nationally, in terms of the ACC, Maryland is No. 4 behind North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. Obviously, the ACC is off to a great start recruiting in the 2010 class.

Maryland will likely need to land a quality big man to hold onto a top-10 national ranking. If Maryland were to land four-star Damontre Harris, who will officially visit next month, they will hold their ground in the top 10. Land a ringer like elite power forward Tobias Harris, and the Terps would rise as high as No. 2 nationally and No. 1 in the ACC

I’m still learning about Damontre Harris but everyone loves Tobias.  At last count, there are 11 schools on Tobias’ list.  Maryland get its in home visit on September 16.  It sounds like Tobias might decide by the end of the September.  Locking up the #2 class in the country heading into the season would literally be an unprecedented development at Maryland.
I’ll bet some of the first to know about the decision will be followers of Tobias’ twitter feed.  If you choose to follow him, please don’t do anything stupid like asking him to come to Maryland.  I don’t know if it’s a recruiting violation; but I’d rather not push the envelope when in doubt.

Add that to the other 2010 commits, Terrence Ross and Terrell Stoglin and the Terps are building one of their best recruiting classes in years.

I literally just got into the office and have a full day, so I will leave it to the rest of the Soupers to continue the discussion.

“The penalty that the Alabama football team got, for instance; they have to forfeit games, ok? And they get probation for three years or whatever it is. That has nothing to do with what you’re gonna do this year. You can go to bowl games, you can play on TV. When we got our sanctions in 1990 we could not play on live television, we could not to go to the NCAA tournament for two years, we lost three scholarships and we had to give back a ton of money. And so basically they took the legs out of our program, because you can’t recruit players to the ACC without television, NCAA Tournament hopes, things like that.”

“I don’t know, I’m a little concerned. I don’t want to sound like the old head (coach), like things aren’t the way they used to be, but something has got to be done. Because you look at the teams this year that were very successful, a couple of them have been outed for what they did. And next year, when it comes time for college basketball to start again, they’ll talk about certain coaches as being great recruiters that I know cheat, you know. And I could be a great recruiter if I was giving kids money, or if I was changing grades on a kid, I’d be a great recruiter, but that’s where it is right now.”

Clearly, as Steinberg later alludes, Gary is talking specifically about Calipari; but we all know he is a dirt bag so that is not news.  For me, Gary’s criticism of the ongoing national disgrace that is the NCAA’s “selective” rules enforcement and sanctions procedure is significant.  I don’t know of any other NCAA coach with the balls to call out the governing body that rules the sport in such a direct way.

I admire Coach Williams’ courage for making these statements.  The NCAA has been poisoned by money and that has clouded their ability to punish “big time” schools that violate the rules because they represent millions of dollars in revenue.

Steinberg goes on to say that Gary should produce the evidence.  That is ridiculous.  Gary Williams is a basketball coach not a private investigator.  His first priority is to win basketball games, not collect evidence on cheaters.  Coaches like Gary know about these violations because when they walk into a recruit’s living room; they hear about what other coaches are willing to do to get that recruit’s services.  Good luck producing hard evidence from that conversation.

I fear for college sports.  The NCAA will soon be forced to decide between enforcing the rules and PUNISHING violators, or turning basketball and football players into professionals.  Hanging onto this myth of amateur athletics is damaging the integrity of the sport because member institutions get away with flouting the rules.

I remember 1990 and our sanctions.  Today, those violations wouldn’t even get a slap on the wrist.

Terp Nation seemed to be divided 50/50 on whether or not we wanted Born Ready.  Personally, I was for it. It’s been so long since Gary landed a bona fide blue chipper out of high school that I was excited more about what BR represented than what he would actually mean for us on the court.

Perhaps that was foolish; but we will never know what would have happened.  As of now, next year’s Terps are currently one player short of a full roster.  It’s possible that Gary will hold the scholarship for 2010; but I think other options may be afoot.

As I’ve documented in the past; the Terps were holding all the cards for getting Lance’s services.  I’m guessing that the Terps must have had good reasons for abandoning the BR sweepstakes.   My sense is that we have not seen the last of the roster moves this summer.