Every day at Timber Creek High School, Maryland football commit MJ Jarrell gets to hang out with his friends Michael, Jordan and Bryan, with whom he has formed a strong bond throughout his two years as a member of his high school’s Peer Inclusion Team.
The Peer Inclusion Team — also known as the PIT Crew — is a program in which a group of athletes and non-athletes work daily with special needs students. Jarrell has one class a day in which he works and plays sports with these handicapped and disabled students who excitedly yell “It’s MJ!” whenever he walks through the door.
“Those kids latch onto him and when he’s not there, they really miss him,” his coach, Jim Buckridge, said. “MJ does that every day with a smile.”
Jarrell’s classmates in the PIT Crew love to support his football career, which will continue with the Terps starting in the fall of 2017.
This weekend, the 6-foot-2, 183-pound wide receiver will get to watch his future team play in his hometown of Orlando, Florida. Although he won’t be on the sidelines yet, he’ll be in the stands with his mom to watch Maryland take on Central Florida on Saturday night.
Jarrell committed to the Terps on June 2 via Twitter after a long recruiting process. Throughout the process he stayed in constant contact with Terps wide receivers coach Chris Beatty, regularly talking on the phone and texting him before making his decision. After visiting the campus with his family for the Terps spring game and making a pros and cons list for schools, Maryland was Jarrell’s choice.
Buckridge said Jarrell, who runs a 4.52 40-yard dash, is one of the best players to come through the area in years.
“We’ve got some good wideouts there now,” Jarrell said, “but I’m ready to come up [to Maryland] and take a few spots.”
Speed has always been Jarrell’s strongest skill. In the week before his first varsity football game his sophomore year, Jarrell guaranteed his mom he would return a kickoff for a touchdown.
She scoffed at the notion.
But as his first varsity game began, the opposing New Smyrna Beach High School kicker pounded the ball to the 20-yard line where Jarrell was waiting for it. As Jarrell charged toward the end zone, his mom was shocked in the stands as her son stood in the end zone celebrating.
“I broke the wedge and got into the open field,” Jarrell said. “I heard the crowd scream. It was incredible.”
Because of his ability to rack up yards after the catch, the Timber Creek offense gets him the ball on the move as much as they can. Whether its through bubble screens, slants or the wildcat formation, Buckridge likes getting the ball in Jarrell’s hands.
“We like to get the ball to him in open space,” Buckridge said. “He does a really good job after the catch in the open field. He goes up the field. One cut and go.”
As polished as Jarrell is as a football player, Buckridge believes he’s just as good of a person. Jarrell doesn’t pout when he doesn’t get as many touches as he’d like. He doesn’t thump his chest when he excels, something Buckridge admires.
“[Terps fans] need to know they are getting a phenomenal child, even outside of athletics,” Jarrell’s mother, Vinek Blanding, said. “He’ll represent Maryland well.”
While the idea of representing a Big Ten school may be nerve-racking for Jarrell, he’s prepared for it. Working with the kids in PIT Crew has taught Jarrell to cherish his privileges and take advantage of the opportunities in his future, and he’ll look to bring that mindset to College Park.
“It’s a big opportunity, I got to perform,” Jarrell said. “I think I’m ready and worthy.”
