Rumor: Quinten Johnson interested in Maryland

Submitted by Magnus on December 13th, 2018 at 8:29 AM

There's a rumor floating around that safety/Viper commit Quinten Johnson is interested in Maryland. With the hiring of Mike Locksley at Maryland, he has a great reputation in the area, and Johnson is from Washington (DC) St. John's. Locksley was his recruiter at Alabama.

I'm not calling a flip. I'm just throwing it out there, because it's something I heard through the grapevine.

GhostofJermain…

December 13th, 2018 at 9:05 AM ^

Coaches are aware, at one time they were going to offer his good friend Dvon Ellies and I'm not sure what happened with that.  The next week is going to be a ton of fun, and we WILL finish with a bang.  SM, JayH, DB, CP, and Coach all have specific targets in mind, and I would be surprised if we didn't get 3 of them or more (2 are flips) . I would of put EW name in there as well, but he's already got his target in the bag (bad choice of word).

Cheers

GhostofJermain…

December 13th, 2018 at 1:18 PM ^

No comment.

However, other schools are telling kids that this is likely GM final year in AA, and that DB wants to be a head coach.  

Based on everything I have heard GM did/does plan on stepping away in the next couple years, but  IMO  with the playoff's expanding potentially, and Michigan's arrow pointing up, I believe keeping him on the staff a year or two past his original timeline is very possible. 

Another interesting twist that I just heard was that tOSU is telling kids that Johnson in fact will return next season. 

a. This is either complete BS to try and keep some recruits for early signing. (ala Alford and Mikey Weber)

b. Might mean he is getting a promotion and Schiano be gone 

c. They are keeping entire staff in tact other than Urbz   

 

 

 

M-Dog

December 13th, 2018 at 8:39 AM ^

I want Maryland to be resurgent, because it drains talent away from Penn State.

I don't want them to be too resurgent, because it drains talent away from . . . us.

 

Leaders And Best

December 13th, 2018 at 9:24 AM ^

I guess, but he still has to win games. Locksley was on staff there for years and only left a couple years ago so it is not like this is a huge sea change. And Michigan was running second to OSU and PSU for a lot of prospects there so I think it is going to affect them more than us.

I still think the top 150 recruits are going to want to see wins there first before buying in.

ak47

December 13th, 2018 at 9:54 AM ^

He wasn't on the MD staff for that long and it was under Edsall who everyone, including all the MD high school head coaches hated. Even despite that he still successfully recruited a ton of guys including having both Dwayne Haskins and Joshua Kaindoh committed before he left to go to Bama and MD was in the top 3 for Chase Young. If Locksley is hired as the head coach at MD instead of Durkin a few years ago OSU doesn't have Haskins and might not have Chase Young. Could have been a different world.

Leaders And Best

December 13th, 2018 at 10:24 AM ^

He's been on staff there twice for a total of almost 10 years. His first stint was from 1997-2002. His second stint was from 2012-15. That is a pretty significant chunk. He did have commitment from Haskins, but I think it is stretch to assume Chase Young would have committed there just because of him. Most of the elite players at Maryland during that time he lost out after being in the top 3. And Kaindoh had decommitted before Locksley's fate had been determined.

I guess it is different as the head coach, but I still think if you don't win, it won't matter how good your connections to the local recruiting base are. Durkin had hired a couple guys who were well connected to the local scene in Mike London and Aazar Abdul-Rahim, and it didn't matter much. Add in the fact it is going to be hard for him to recruit nationally with his record at New Mexico and some of the off-field issues that got him fired there. That stuff is going to come up in negative recruiting. It may not affect him in the DMV, but it will in other places.

Magnus

December 13th, 2018 at 9:48 AM ^

Fair enough, but then McElwain ran off to have success at Colorado State, Kiffin left to have success at FAU, etc., so maybe there's a little bit of a bump from working with Saban. Maybe those coaches learned some things, or maybe the players at their new schools buy in a little quicker because those coaches are like, "I learned at the feet of the best coach in college football."

Magnus

December 14th, 2018 at 9:52 AM ^

Yes, I can, because we're talking about what they did immediately after working with Saban. McElwain became head coach at CSU after coaching under Saban, and he did a good job at his first stop for a couple years, which got him a bigger job. Kiffin has done a decent job at his first stop after being a Saban acolyte (11-3 in year one, 5-7 in year two, 16-10 overall), and we'll see how he does in the future.

NittanyFan

December 13th, 2018 at 9:24 AM ^

Maryland football has been a "resurgent threat" that is going to "lock down the DMV" and "win Championships" for 30 years now.

I just don't see it.  They have structural limitations to success (the largest being their fanbase doesn't really seem to care).  And this newest coach they hired is someone with a bit of a checkered past and a sub-.100 career winning percentage.  I know New Mexico isn't the easiest place to win but it's not that hard.

Maryland will have some good years, yes.  Friedgen definitely did in the early 2000s.  But they didn't really turn that into anything in the long-term though, and that was during an era where PSU football was really in the dumpsters (4 losing seasons in 5 in the early 2000s).

All that said, given their personality types, Franklin and Locksley will undoubtedly have some sort of silly public kerfuffle at some point in the next few years.  That will be amusing.

OwenGoBlue

December 13th, 2018 at 9:53 AM ^

He'll get a few guys but this is the same old story. I think the division is the new structural limitation for Maryland football. 

I looked at their future schedules and they really might not win in November for the next three years. Even if they win a couple it's going to be awfully hard to lock down the DMV if you're closing seasons like that vs teams also recruiting the DMV. 

Leaders And Best

December 13th, 2018 at 10:47 AM ^

My god, I just looked at their November schedule the next 3 years. Murder.

I think it will take a perfect storm for someone to win there. Dantonio had the Rodriguez-Hoke Michigan decade, Tressel NCAA scandal and firing at OSU in 2011, and Sandusky fallout with Paterno firing and NCAA sanctions at PSU in 2012 to help boost him. I don't think that is happening again for a long time. Again, the question must be asked, what deal with the devil does Dantonio have?

uofmfan_13

December 13th, 2018 at 11:04 AM ^

As Maryland alum (but massive Michigan fan, connected through family) the home schedule next year for Terps is juicy: Howard, Syracuse, Penn State, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska.  Not a bad home schedule in 2019. 

Locksley is an interesting hire.  Maryland football needs "juice" and some excitement and maybe he can be the one to bring it.  I think the fan base is generally apathetic (it doesn't help that College Park, MD isn't a great "collegiate town" although it has improved since early 2000s)... but winning consistently and having entertaining games like the 2018 home tilt vs OSU will spark more intrigue. 

Overall if Maryland could get to consistent 7-5, 8-4s with those 4 losses to PSU, Michigan, Ohio and one other, it will be a good season and something to point to.  Do I think MD is ever going to get to 10 win years?  No.  The fan base would be going NUTS to have the kind of year Michigan just had.  

The win over Texas in Landover was a nice one though. 

outsidethebox

December 13th, 2018 at 8:39 AM ^

These kids have options-a wide open field at this time. This story can be written about every recruit. That is why the coaches have fanned out across the country visiting the verbal commits and recruits they are still pursuing. If you want to be a hand-wringer...have at it...but this is the reality of the recruiting deal. I believe due diligence is being employed...

jbrandimore

December 13th, 2018 at 8:44 AM ^

Magnus, you are my least favorite person to be posting speculative potential bad news on here.

Thats because I know you know your shit and aren’t quoting the Counterstrike guy.

SMart WolveFan

December 13th, 2018 at 9:38 AM ^

h'o'w to f'u'c'k' with g'r'a'm'm'a'r n'a't'z'i's'

You're post is awesome!

Peopleses is so dumb when there not smart, and put ' s after nouns that arent possessed. Your smart and thats a fact plus show's in school you we're their and not just "they're" , ya know.

Good Luck with you're 'fightn' the 'apostrophe apocalypse'' war's, your fun to must be with too.