Big commitments this weekend would jumpstart Maryland recruiting under DJ Durkin

I don’t write about Maryland much in this space because I cover nationally elite recruits, of whom the Terrapins usually land few. But Maryland could have a huge haul this weekend, perhaps landing three good prospects.

First, four-star defensive tackle Cam Spence will decide Friday. Spence is at the IMG Academy in Bradenton (Fla.) but is originally from the Gilman School in Baltimore. I think Spence is a plus-level athlete at either defensive tackle or offensive tackle. Spence is currently recovering from a knee injury, but still has interest from traditional powerhouses like Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan. Will being a Baltimore native be enough to push Spence to Maryland?

But Maryland is shooting for the moon this weekend, and that means getting a quarterback. The quarterback is Kasim Hill, formerly of the Gilman School in Baltimore and now at St. John’s College Prep in DC. Hill is a four-star dual-threat, and would go a long way in replacing local star Dwayne Haskins, who decommitted from Maryland and flipped to Ohio State in the class of 2016.

Hill could become a leader for Maryland’s class if he commits Saturday and sticks with his commitment, as Testudo Times writes.

Since he’s from the area, Hill is plenty familiar with College Park. He was on campus for at least one Maryland basketball game in February, and he has relationships with other top recruits in the area. This stacks up as a promising year for blue-chip talent in the DMV region, and Hill’s commitment would be a strong start on securing some of it.

And finally, Olney (MD) Good Counsel three-star athlete Ayinde Eley is also planning to commit Saturday. Maryland has offered and if the Terrapins are able to land all three players it could create quite the splash locally.

Maryland tried to create the splash last year with “The Movement” and ultimately failed because of another awful season on the field. New coach D.J. Durkin is trying to do the same thing, but with better results on the field.

Remember five-star athlete Demetris Robertson from the class of 2016? If you don’t, a refresher: The Savannah (Ga.) Christian star did not sign a letter of intent as he was re-taking his standardized test in an attempt to gain admission to Stanford. While that effort is ongoing, many believed he would ultimately pick between Alabama and Georgia if he did not get in to Stanford. Now Tim Watts of Bama Online is reporting ($) that his Alabama sources believe the Tide is out for the five-star. This could be a big win for Kirby Smart. Robertson is also considering Cal and Georgia Tech.

Florida State’s stadium is undergoing construction, so it is having its spring game in Orlando. Spring games matter a bit in recruiting, and FSU found out that you can host recruits at an off-site spring game if your stadium is unavailable.

Texas recruits and recruiting experts say that they are in a holding pattern, waiting to see what is going to happen with Charlie Strong and Kevin Sumlin.

If you’re a recent signup or missed a day, that’s OK. I link my previous Crootletters in this section.

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Who are the top players in Dallas? Where are they leaning? Find out in this recap of the Nike Opening Regional Camp.

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Steven Godfrey and I discussed the mechanics and timing of negative recruiting.

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