Maryland football’s recent recruiting efforts seemingly defy logic, as the Terps — who are 16-40 in Big Ten play during Mike Locksley’s tenure at coach — are in recruiting battles with national title contenders.
Baltimore native and Georgetown Prep standout offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho narrowed his list of top schools to 11 on Wednesday. Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and Penn State are on the list, as is Maryland, according to Iheanacho’s post on Instagram. On3 ranks Iheanacho, a 6-foot-7 and 350-pound prospect, as its No. 2 recruit in the class of 2026. He told On3 he expects to take an official visit to Maryland, although Oregon was his No. 1 choice as of late January.
“I just love the whole dynamic, the whole campus at Oregon, the practice fields, how the weight room is set up, I love the strength and conditioning coach down there, it was straight love when I got down there,” Iheanacho told On3. “The gear is amazing, that’s not the most important part, but the gear is amazing.”
At the very least, Iheanacho has bolstered the hope of Terps fans through his social media activity in the last month. He quoted a post on X on Feb. 5 with the eyes emoji after four-star edge Zahir Mathis committed to Maryland as part of the Terps’ 2025 recruiting class. Mathis picked Maryland over Ohio State and Florida State, among other high-profile schools.
The No. 3 recruit, St. Frances defensive end Zion Elee, already verbally committed to Maryland, although he’s still visiting other schools. Iheanacho also quoted a video of him practicing against Elee earlier this month with the caption “Iron sharpens Iron.”
Elee is currently the highest-rated recruit in program history, barely surpassing 2012 commit Stefon Diggs. The former five-star wide receiver became a standout for Maryland, surpassing 2,000 career receiving yards in just three seasons before being selected in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. Diggs blossomed into an NFL star, too, being named a first-team All-Pro in 2020 and making four Pro Bowl appearances. He’s currently a member of the Houston Texans.
Maryland’s 2026 recruiting class includes four verbally committed players, with three of them playing at St. Frances. Elee is the lone five star in the current class, with the other three prospects being rated as three-star players by 247 Sports. The Terps are one of the schools who have offered St. Frances safety Jireh Edwards, an uncommitted player in the 2026 class recently named a five-star prospect by On3.
It’s a possibility that Locksley and company secure commitments from two five-star recruits in the same recruiting class, a feat the program has never achieved. Maryland’s best recruiting class of the Locksley era, according to 247 Sports, was the 2021 group that ranked 19th nationally. That class included five-star prospect Chop Robinson, who only played one season in College Park before transferring and spending two years with Penn State. The Miami Dolphins picked him in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, as he developed his skills and recorded 18 tackles for loss and 9 1/2 sacks over two seasons with the Nittany Lions.
The uptick in recruiting comes after the Terps secured a top-30 2025 recruiting class, according to 247 Sports. The class was headlined by four-star Spalding quarterback Malik Washington, who could earn playing time as a true freshman in 2025 with last year’s starter Billy Edwards Jr. leaving for Wisconsin in the offseason.
“To me, the sky is the limit for his talent level,” Locksley said on National Signing Day in December. “He expects to come in the mail room and work his way up. He doesn’t want it any other way. He wants to come in and learn and be a sponge.”
While the on-field results in 2024 were a step back after three consecutive seasons ended with bowl appearances, landing a pair of five-star prospects would help the Terps move in the direction of Locksley’s long-term goal of contending for Big Ten championships. The program hasn’t yet had a winning record in conference play during his six seasons, however.
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.