By Mike Lilly
Stefon Diggs, Chase Young, Bryan Bresee. These are just a few of the players that hail from the state of Maryland that made an impact not only on their respective college teams but on Sundays in the NFL. Who will be the next star from the state of Maryland to make an impact? Here are a few names to pay attention to on the recruiting trail:
Malik Washington
Severn, MD (Archbishop Spalding)
#254 NAT, #22 QB, #6 MD
Quarterbacks have a tendency to commit early every recruiting cycle and 2025 is no different. Washington, standing at 6’5″, 200 pounds, is one of the top signal-callers still available in the 2025 recruiting cycle, coming off a junior season where he threw for 27 touchdowns and 2,288 yards. Washington currently holds 19 offers and recently released a top 6 schools consisting of Maryland, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Oregon, and Penn State.
Washington recently took visits to Syracuse and Maryland, attending a basketball game on each visit. Washington appears to have a strong relationship with Maryland coach Mike Locksley and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, making the Terps an early favorite, but I would expect coach Fran Brown and Syracuse to make a strong push for the talented quarterback.
Early Prediction: Maryland
Cortez Harris
Upper Marlboro, MD (Riverdale Baptist)
#171 NAT, #16 EDGE, #4 MD
The 6’4″, 230-pound edge rusher is a priority to many in the 2025 recruiting cycle, as is any top edge rusher. Harris currently holds 19 offers, including offers from Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, and Georgia. Harris is a force in stopping the run, quick to the sideline, and keeps plays in front of him.
Harris visited Penn State on January 27th, a major recruiting weekend that included some other top players in the 2025 cycle. We have a long way to go in Harris’ recruitment, but I would look for Harris’ relationship with Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes to make an impact down the stretch.
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Early Prediction: Penn State
Jeff Exinor Jr.
Owing Mills, MD (McDonogh School)
#176 NAT, #5 CB, #5 MD
Players who get recruited on the hardwood and the gridiron certainly are not the norm, but Jeff Exinor Jr. is no ordinary athlete. Offered as a freshman to play basketball at Siena College, the 6’2″, 200-pound athlete currently holds 17 offers, including offers from Maryland, Syracuse, Michigan, and most recently South Carolina. In 2023, his junior campaign, Exinor saw snaps on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and on the defensive line. Seen as a wide receiver at the next level, Exinor had 13 touchdowns and 926 yards on 76 catches.
Exinor was on campus with coach Fran Brown and Syracuse recently and had only great things to say about the visit and the university. I would give an early edge to the Orange but would not be surprised to see many suitors make a run at Exinor down the stretch.
Early Prediction: Syracuse
I had amazing time visiting Syracuse yesterday! Thank you @FranBrownCuse and the rest of the Syracuse family for having me up there.🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/UHFKBAqpxF
— Jeff “El Jefe” Exinor (@JrExinor) January 21, 2024
Iverson Howard
El Dorado Hills, CA (Oak Ridge)
#309 NAT, #27 RB, #7 MD
Howard is an incredible athlete with great top-end speed that gives him the ability to score any time he touches the ball. The 5’11” 190-pound running back currently holds 25 offers, including a recently released top 10 schools that most notably included Ole Miss, Penn State, Michigan, and Miami.
We have a long way to go in Howard’s recruitment, but Howard was recently in Florida for a 7-on-7 tournament shortly after releasing a top ten of schools that have recruited him. I would look for many visits in Howard’s future, but with the little information we have, it seems that Howard has taken a liking to Michigan. It will be interesting to see how new head coach Sherrone Moore continues to recruit Howard
