As Maryland football’s 2023 season approaches, the program’s 2024 recruiting class is beginning to take form.
The Terps currently have 14 hard commits and tout the No. 51 class in the nation with one four-star recruit and 13 three-stars, according to 247Sports. German three-star linebacker Justin Okoronkwo announced Saturday on Twitter he would decommit from Maryland, and flipped to Alabama the next day.
Even without Okoronkwo, the 2024 class still features several early standouts.
DeJuan Williams, RB, St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)
The current lone four-star commit in coach Mike Locksley’s 2024 class, Williams is a nearly 5-foot-11 running back from Baltimore. He is the No. 6 prospect in the state and the 20th best running back in the nation, according to 247Sports.
Williams averaged 8.2 yards per carry as a junior at St. Frances Academy, flashing big-play ability with the ball in his hands. Williams promotes himself as a versatile player, telling On3 Sports that he can “catch the ball, get out in the slot and play all over the field.”
Williams will join a running back room in 2024 that could include current pieces Roman Hemby, Ramon Brown, Antwain Littleton II and Colby McDonald.
Keyshawn Flowers, LB, Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.)
One of five in-state commits, Flowers is the Terps’ highest-ranked defensive prospect. Listed as 247Sports’ No. 13th-best prospect in Maryland and the nation’s 46th-best linebacker, Flowers lined up primarily as an inside linebacker during his junior season at Archbishop Spalding, racking up 81 tackles and five sacks.
He could take on a similar role to current Terps linebacker Jaishawn Barham in defensive coordinator Brian Williams’ scheme. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Flowers joins Keyari James as the two linebackers committed to Maryland thus far.
Flowers, a Severn native, picked the Terps over a host of schools including Miami, Notre Dame and Alabama. He made official visits to the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish in June before sealing the deal with Maryland later that month.
Flowers said proximity to home was an important factor in his decision to play for the Terps.
“My parents will be at all the games,” Flowers told The Capital Gazette last month. “To be able to stay home and see my friends and get the support by them and play for the hometown team, it’s different.”
[Dejuan Williams, a four-star running back from St. Frances, commits to Maryland]
CBs Larry Tarver Jr., Lakhi Roland and Lloyd Irvin
Maryland earned commitments from a trio of three-star cornerbacks in Larry Tarver Jr., Lakhi Roland and Lloyd Irvin. Roland was the first to commit in April, while Tarver and Irvin both committed within four-days of one another this summer. Tarver flipped his commitment to the Terps from Florida International.
All three offer different physical profiles, with Tarver standing 5-foot-11, Roland 6-foot-1 and Irvin 6-foot-3. Tarver is a two-sport athlete who runs track and was district champion in the 200-meter dash as a junior at TRU Prep Academy in Florida. Roland was a Georgia Region 5-AAA Second-Team selection, collecting 18 tackles and an interception last season, according to 247Sports.
With Maryland’s defensive backs room thinning after Deonte Banks and Jakorian Bennett departed for the NFL, plus possible departures from seniors Ja’Quan Sheppard and Tarheeb Still after this season, the trio of 2024 corners will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact.
Anthony Reddick, EDGE, Phoebus (Hampton, Va.)
A 6-foot-2, 220-pound edge rusher, Reddick is rated the 67th-best edge in the nation and the No. 29 prospect in Virginia, according to 247Sports. Reddick committed to the Terps in April, choosing Maryland over Arkansas, Virginia and Penn State.
[Big Ten ditches football divisions, announces new schedule model starting in 2024]
Jahmari Powell-Wonson, WR, Baltimore City College, (Baltimore, Md.)
Powell-Wonson is the lone receiver the Terps have snagged so far. The 6-foot-2, three-star recruit from Baltimore received more than a dozen offers, but only visited Maryland and Pitt before landing on the Terps, according to Rivals
Powell-Wonson is 247Sports’30th-best Maryland prospect and the No. 139 receiver in the nation. He totaled 32 receptions, over 1,100 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior.
OTs Anthony Robsock, Donovan Thompson, Terez Davis and Michael McMonigle
Four three-star offensive tackles have also pledged to play for the Terps. The top-ranked of the group is Terez Davis, a 6-foot-6, 260-pounder local product from Hyattsville. Davis is 247Sports’ No. 95 tackle in the 2024 class, while Thompson, Robsock and McMonigle rank 126, 96 and 129 respectively.