Tag: Maryland

Rivals ranks Wisconsin outside of the five best coaching jobs in the Big Ten

Four days ago Rivals’ Dan McDonald listed, in order, the best men’s basketball head coaching jobs in the Big Ten Conference…

Four days ago Rivals’ Dan McDonald listed, in order, the best men’s basketball head coaching jobs in the Big Ten Conference.

His top-5 are Indiana at No. 1, Ohio State at No. 2, Michigan at No. 3, Michigan State at No. 4 and Maryland at No. 5.

Then, coming in at No. 6 is the Wisconsin basketball program.

Here’s what he had to say about the Badgers’ coaching job:

“Making calls to different college coaches and scouts in preparing this list, the one response that kept coming up was, “You know what’s a really underrated job? Wisconsin.” It’s hard to disagree. Badgers fans love their team, they always win and the state produces some pretty good players that like to stay home. Plus, as a college town, Madison gets rave reviews.”

Though Greg Gard and company recently lost out on in-state four-star 2021 small forward James Graham to the Maryland Terrapins, McDonald is spot on here about the program, its winning history, its ability to keep players in-state and the overwhelming fan support year-after-year.

Maybe the program isn’t a blue blood national title contender every year (though they may be this season), but in arguably the nation’s best overall basketball conference the No. 6 slot seems right for the program.

Nation’s top JUCO CB commits to Georgia football for 2021

No. 1 JUCO cornerback De’Jahn Warren has committed to Georgia for the 2021 recruiting class. Details here

Great start to the week for Georgia football as De’Jahn Warren, JUCO’s No. 1 cornerback for the class of 2021, commits to the Bulldogs.

That makes 14 commitments so far in the Bulldogs 2021 recruiting class and the first from JUCO.

Warren made his commitment in a video posted through his Twitter account Monday morning.

His top schools were Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee, Maryland, Penn State, Florida State and Georgia.

Warren plays for Lackawanna Community College where he is rated as the No. 2 JUCO prospect overall, the No. 1 JUCO cornerback and the No. 1 player in Maryland, according to 247Sports composite rankings.

That makes three defensive backs added to the Bulldogs’ 2021 class.

David Daniel, Javon Bullard and now Warren are set to join a Georgia secondary that will soon feature even more new faces as guys like Eric Stokes, Tyson Campbell and Richard Lecounte inevitably move on to the NFL.

 

 

 

Ohio State star quarterback Justin Fields starts ‘We want to play’ petition

Ohio State star quarterback Justin Fields is using his platform to try and apply pressure to get Big Ten football back for this fall.

Aside from Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has already been very vocal about his wishes to have college football played this fall, there probably isn’t as recognized name in the game as Justin Fields.

For those who may not know though, Fields quarterbacks Ohio State and after a standout 2019, was a big reason for the Buckeyes being among the favorites to win it all in 2020.

‘Was’ might be a short word but carries massive importance in this case as Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten saw their football seasons canceled last week in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now Fields is using his platform to try and pressure Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren and all 14 Big Ten presidents to reinstate football to the conferences 2020 fall schedule. Fields began a petition seeking nationwide support to this cause on Sunday and has already received more than 65,000 as of early Sunday afternoon.

Fields says of the ‘We want to play’ cause:

We want to play. We believe that safety protocols have been established and can be maintained to mitigate concerns of exposure to Covid 19. We believe that we should have the right to make decisions about what is best for our health and our future. Don’t let our hard work and sacrifice be in vain. #LetUsPlay!

I credit the young man for putting his support behind his belief. It’s not just about staying healthy this fall in order to be a first round pick in next spring’s NFL Draft. He clearly wants to play, potentially raise his draft stock and help lead a team with legit national championship aspirations.

Hats off to Fields for stating and acting on his wishes. Unfortunately for his cause I’d be shocked if this petition changes any minds of those in charge, even if it ultimately lands one million signatures that would fill all 14 Big Ten football stadiums.

If you’d like to sign the petition you can do so by clicking here.

Watch: Half-Naked Man Interrupts Urban Meyer’s TV Appearance

There are a lot of questions to ask after Urban Meyer’s appearance on the Big Ten Network this Tuesday.

Let’s face it – if you’re reading this website chances are you’re a college football fan.  Maybe huge, maybe somewhat of one, but certainly at least a fairly decent college football fan.

Today’s news sucks, I have no other way of putting it.  It’s the Big Ten and Pac-12 today and could very easily be the rest of FBS college football in a matter of days.

It’s yet another kick to the mid-section of 2020, a year that simply can’t end soon enough.

We do have an important piece of video to share with you however that will hopefully at least make you smile a bit.

Urban Meyer was on the Big Ten Network’s breaking news coverage of the cancellation, sharing his insight as to what happens next.  In the middle of answering a question from Dave Revsine, something strange happened, see for yourself below:

I have more than a couple questions.

  • Where is Urban Meyer doing this hit from?  An RV?
  • Who is the half naked man behind him?
  • How does it take Meyer so long to realize the half-naked man is there?
  • How does Meyer not have any idea they’re not cutting away from him towards the end of the hit?

A lot to dissect here, no doubt.  I know we have a lot of questions about college football today and what happens now, but for a breather I’d like to know a lot more about what in the wide-world of sports is going on in this interview.

BREAKING: NCAA approves Taulia Tagovailoa’s transfer waiver

Taulia Tagovailoa will now have a chance to start this fall at Maryland since the NCAA approved his transfer waiver on Friday

Former Alabama quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa will now have a chance to start this fall at Maryland since the NCAA approved his transfer waiver on Friday. This is big news for Tagovailoa and Maryland fans who were hoping to see Taulia in action this fall.

When Tagovailoa announced his decision to transfer from Alabama, many wondered why he chose Maryland and assumed Taulia Tagovailoa would transfer to a school in southern Florida such as FAU, FIU, and Miami to be closer to his older brother Tua, but he didn’t.

Tagovailoa instead transferred to Maryland, and his father, Galu Tagovailoa, shared with AL.com why.

“It’s really tough and it’s nothing against Alabama. But my boys are competitive, and Lia is such a competitive kid. And he wanted an opportunity to compete. He was told that he was going to come in and compete and he didn’t really get that opportunity, so he wanted to use the spring to do that. But with the COVID-19 thing going on, he didn’t really have the opportunity to compete. He’s a competitor. He likes to work. He likes to compete on the field. And just, going into the season this year, he just felt that he wasn’t given that opportunity and he wants to take it somewhere where they’re going to give him the opportunity to make the best of his skill set.”

And according to Galu, Maryland seemed to be the best fit for Tagovailoa:

“He’s a player. This kid likes to play. He wants a chance to get on the field. He knew that him getting on the field this past season was just to hand off the ball and they didn’t really showcase him and who he is. He doesn’t fear competition. He just wants an opportunity to go out there and play. And the best place right now for him is Maryland.”

Taulia was rated as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the 2019 class by 247Sports and PrepStar.

Taulia Tagovailoa also became the only quarterback in Alabama state history to have at least four 400-yard passing performances in his career, throwing for 3,728 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior at Thompson High School. Tagovailoa led Thompson to the 2018 Class 7A state championship and was selected to the Class 7A All-State first team in 2017.

Taulia Tagovailoa saw limited action in Tuscaloosa for the Crimson Tide, considering he was a backup behind his older brother Tua. He recorded 9 passes for 100 yards and 1 TD. He played in three games in 2019: against Western Carolina, Arkansas, and Southern Mississippi.

But Taulia Tagovailoa is extremely talented and has so much potential, and  Locksley can help him. Considering he’s coached Tua Tagovailoa, Locksley has an edge that every other coach in the country doesn’t.

It will be exciting to see what Taulia can do this fall!

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Vols’ fall camp: Kasim Hill ‘will present a competitive venue’

Vols’ fall camp: Kasim Hill ‘will present a competitive venue’

KNOXVILLE — Kasim Hill transferred to Tennessee from Maryland last August.

Hill started the first 10 games of the 2018 season for Maryland before suffering an ACL injury in his left knee. The 6-foot-2, 234-pound signal-caller appeared in three games, starting two contests, in 2017 as a freshman. Hill’s freshman season ended due to a torn ACL in his right knee.

In 13 career games, Hill has thrown for 1,313 yards, 11 touchdowns, while going 102-for-191. He totaled 45 rushing yards and scored one touchdown in 52 attempts at Maryland.

NCAA Football: Maryland at Indiana
Nov 10, 2018; Bloomington, IN, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Kasim Hill (11) runs the ball during the fist half of the the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium . Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Bryan Stinespring served as Maryland’s offensive line coach in 2018. Stinespring discussed what Hill brings to Tennessee’s quarterback unit in 2020.

“He is an intelligent football player,” Stinespring told Vols Wire of Hill. “He is a hard-working football player. He’s got size and a lot of pocket presence – there is a talent level there.”

During Hill’s time at Maryland, the Terrapins had two different offenses. As a freshman in 2017, Walt Bell was Hill’s offensive coordinator, running more spread-type formations. Matt Canada came in as offensive coordinator in 2018 and implemented more of an under center approach.

“For the adaption that he had to make, especially coming off an injury, I thought he did very well for us,” Stinespring said of Hill.

Kasim Hill
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

The redshirt junior is now healthy after sitting out last season and transferring to Tennessee. Hill has one year of experience learning Jim Chaney’s offense, along with an understanding of the Vols’ player personnel.

With the upcoming season slated to kick off Sept. 26 and fall training camp on Aug. 17, Hill finds himself competing for a top spot on the Vols’ depth chart against the likes of redshirt senior Jarrett Guarantano and highly-touted freshman Harrison Bailey.

“He is going to do well, he is going to compete,” Stinespring said of Hill entering fall training camp. “You are talking about a guy that was instrumental as a young football player. Beating Texas as a young quarterback – he has been in some big ball games and has captained some big wins. His competitive desire and his drive to be on the field will present a competitive venue for anybody.”

Stinespring’s entire interview on the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days” can be listened to here or below. Stinespring currently serves as Delaware’s offensive line coach and he previously was an assistant at Virginia Tech from 1990-2015.

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Notre Dame Adds Maryland Transfer Emma Schettig

Notre Dame’s women’s lacrosse team got bigger Monday when it added sophomore defender Emma Schettig.

Notre Dame’s women’s lacrosse team got bigger Monday when it added sophomore defender Emma Schettig. During her pandemic-shortened season at Maryland, Schettig was named an Inside Lacrosse Second Team All-American and an All-Rookie Team member. In six games, she led the Terrapins with 17 groundballs, had 16 draw controls and caused nine turnovers. She also earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on one occasion.

Irish coach Christine Halfpenny said the following:

“I’m thrilled to announce the addition of Emma Schettig to our women’s lacrosse program. After recruiting Emma in her freshman year of high school (when NCAA rules allowed early communication) we always thought she was a fantastic cultural fit for Notre Dame, academically, athletically, and socially. Emma’s values align with that of our Gold Standards as she is constantly in the pursuit of excellence, integrity, and unity. Her experience as a full-time contributor in her freshman season at Maryland will no doubt help her to transition to our team’s style of play and the competitive ACC lacrosse schedule. Notre Dame Women’s Lacrosse feels very fortunate to add such a quality person and lacrosse player to our family!”

Schettig is not a complete stranger to everyone on Notre Dame’s roster. In 2019, she and Irish midfielder Kasy Choma won a gold medal with the U.S. Under-19 Women’s National Team. Additionally, she played high school lacrosse with new teammates Andie Aldave and Savannah Buchanan at McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland. It’s practically a given that she’ll transition to South Bend smoothly.

 

Notre Dame Player Preview: Cam Hart – Cornerback

It’s a year of great question for Notre Dame at corner, but Cam Hart offers something others lack: tremendous size. Learn more right here.

Hopefully everyone had a good weekend as we inch closer to college football getting started.  We may not know if that is going to come in the fall or the spring but we do know we’ve got a Notre Dame football team that needs breaking down.

Next up on our player profile feature is a redshirt freshman who played in three games his rookie year of 2019 but was forced out of action after sustaining a shoulder injury.

Today we’re look a bit more in-depth at Notre Dame cornerback Cam Hart as he offers something the rest of the Irish corners can’t.

Stats and Information…

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2021 Florida CB commit Clinton Burton Jr. flips to Boston College

Burton flipped to the Boston College Eagles, breaking the news shortly after 10 p.m. ET with a video on his Twitter account.

One of the highest-rated members of the Florida Gators’ upcoming recruiting class, Baltimore, Maryland four-star cornerback Clinton Burton, Jr., announced he will be taking his talents elsewhere on July 17.

Burton flipped to the Boston College Eagles, breaking the news shortly after 10 p.m. ET with a two-minute and twenty-second video on his Twitter account.

Originally committing to position coach Torrian Gray and the Gators on September 2, 2019, Burton was the second-highest rated pledge for the program in the 2021 cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite, trailing only Fort Lauderdale four-star defensive end Tyreak Sapp.

He becomes the top commit for Boston College and the school’s lone current four-star in the class.

Last reaching the eight-win mark in 2009, the Eagles parted ways with head coach Steve Addazio, who spent six years as an assistant under Urban Meyer at Florida from 2005-10, in December after seven seasons.

To succeed him, the program hired Ohio State Buckeyes co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Jeff Hafley. Regarded as one of college football’s best recruiters, the hiring of the 41-year-old New Jersey native seems to be paying immediate dividends for Boston College.

With Burton out of the picture, the Gators’ 2021 class now stands at 19 members and ranks No. 10 in America and fourth-best in the Southeastern Conference.

Florida has secured the verbal commitment of two other cornerbacks in the cycle, IMG Academy four-star Kamar Wilcoxson and Tampa three-star Jordan Young.

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Maryland hires former Giants assistant Henry Baker

The University of Maryland has hired former New York Giants assistant Henry Baker to coach their cornerbacks.

Former New York Giants assistant defensive backs coach Henry Baker has been hired by the University of Maryland to coach their cornerbacks this season.

Baker served just one season on Pat Shurmur’s staff after being hired last year. He previously served as cornerbacks coach at North Carolina (2018), Rutgers (2017) and Delaware (2011-2016). He was not retained when the Giants fired Shurmur in January.

The Paterson, New Jersey native was a four-year letter-winner and two-year starter at defensive back at Maryland from 1994-97, earning his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2003 before embarking on a career in coaching.

“Baker fills the lone remaining vacancy on second-year coach Mike Locksley’s staff after Cory Robinson, the cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator in 2019, left this offseason to take a job as a defensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints,” as per a report in The Baltimore Sun.

“Henry is a former Terp so I know he feels the same way I do about returning his alma mater to a high level,” Locksley said in a news release. “He’s the son of a well-respected high school coach from South Jersey and his ties and connections in that area should be invaluable for us. Henry was a well-respected leader as a player and he will add value to our staff as a proven teacher, mentor and recruiter.”

Baker was a participant in the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship, spending time with the Detroit Lions during the 2015 preseason camp and with the Giants in 2016. The annual fellowship was launched to create more job opportunities for minority coaches.

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