Mike Locksley’s connections to the Maryland area helped land him the job in College Park before the start of the 2019 season. His ability to recruit the region was an attractive quality as the program was looking to develop a more competitive product.

In terms of recruiting, Locksley has delivered.

Maryland’s 2020 recruiting class ranked 31st nationally and sixth in the B1G. Locksley’s first full class included two four-star prospects and flipping five-star wide receiver Rakim Jarrett from LSU. But the success didn’t end there.

Late last week, Locksley was able to receive a verbal commitment from former Alabama quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, the younger brother of Tua Tagovailoa. The Terps received the pledge just a week after Tagovailoa hit the transfer portal.

That success on the recruiting front and in the transfer portal has impressed Maryland Athletic Director Damon Evans, who recently made an appearance on SiriusXM Radio,

“I don’t say this because I’m the athletic director of the University of Maryland,” Evans said, according to 247Sports. “I say it because I believe it. I’m excited by Mike Locksley. First of all, you want to find someone who has so much pride in the institution he’s working in. He loves this place. He was born and raised in this place. We’ve always known Mike was a great recruiter and that’s showing right now. Kids who are committing right now, people are calling me and asking ‘how are we getting these kids?’ We knew when Mike came in we’d be able to circle the wagon and keep kids in this region. I’m excited (for it). Building a team isn’t all about the x’s and o’s but the Jimmys and the Joes. We’ve gotta get some Jimmys and some Joes that can help us compete at a higher level in this conference so I think Mike is doing a great job on the recruiting front.”

Maryland is coming off a bad year on the field, finishing just 3-9 with its lone conference victory coming against Rutgers. Still, Locksley believes in what his staff is building and the product he’s selling to recruits. That has translated to continued to success while recruiting.

Currently, Maryland’s 2021 class ranks 14th nationally and fifth in the B1G with 14 members, three of which are four-star talents. 12 of those players hail from the DC, Maryland and Virginia areas.

If Locksley continues to recruit at a high level, Maryland will soon have a team that should be very competitive on a regular basis, even in the B1G East.