Maryland's Biggest Misses

No recruiting class is without some misses. TSR takes a look at some of Maryland's misses this recruiting class.

QB EJ Manuel (Florida State) – While there is no shame in losing a recruit to Florida State, the fact that Scout’s No. 2 QB prospect had Maryland as his clear leader around this time last year has to sting. Despite those strong early feelings, the Terps just couldn’t overcome the lure of one of the elite football programs in the country. Hailing from Virginia Beach, Manuel possesses all the tools to excel at the position. He stands 6-foot-5 and has the arm and mobility every college looks for in a QB. And to make matters worse, Maryland will have to face Manuel four times as he will be playing for one of its Atlantic Division rivals.

RB Lamaar Thomas (Ohio State) – Another player for whom Maryland lead early-on, there were rumors of a rift of some sort last summer and for a while, Thomas didn’t have the hometown Terps in his top five. Things were smoothed over and Maryland was one of three finalists along with Ohio State and Illinois. Unfortunately, Scout’s #10 RB with elite track speed never seemed to gain back the love for the local school that he held last fall. Instead, he’ll be part of a speed influx for the Buckeyes after two straight national title game losses to SEC teams.

CB Tavon Wilson – A one-time Maryland commit, the DC native Wilson changed his mind in December and decided to pledge his services to Maryland’s recruiting nemesis Mike Locksley at Illinois. At 6-foot and with 4.5 speed, Wilson would have given Maryland two big, speedy cornerbacks along with fellow local Cameron Chism.

LB Zach Brown – Last month Brown, who is prepping at Hargrave Military Academy, surprised many and committed to North Carolina after a visit to Chapel Hill. This was after the Columbia, Md., native previously committed to Maryland.

DT Reggie Ellis – This Dunbar stud became yet another DC kid lured to Champaign by Locksley. While defensive tackle was a position Maryland did well recruiting this year, it is also one of the positions you can never have enough good players. And the No. 29 DT prospect in the nation would have elevated the Terps recruiting at that position from good to great.

Other misses:

OT Jimmy Bennett – Maryland was in and out of his list of top schools, though he never favored the Terps. One of the top players in Northern Virginia, the 6-foot-8, 270-pound Bennett opted for Connecticut. He would have given Maryland another solid tackle commit, and despite decent depth at the position now, you can never have enough guys on the lines.

RB Ryan Williams – The Army All-American from Manassas, Va., was a long shot from the get-go. Maryland was in with Williams from the very beginning. Though the Terps frequently made his list of top schools early on, it quickly became apparent he had other plans. He ultimately decided to commit to Virginia Tech, giving the Hokies one of the top running backs in this class.

WR/S O’Neill Chambers – Chambers is a dynamic two-way standout from Florida who had Maryland as his favorite or co-favorite for much of the recruiting process. He eliminated the Terps not long before he committed to BYU, where a former coach of his is on the staff. Even though Maryland had a sensational WR haul this year, Chambers would have been a valuable addition to the defensive back depth.