One week removed from his official visit to Maryland, head coach Mike Locksley and the Terps staff have landed another pledge in the trenches, this time on the defensive side of the ball as Avon Old Farms (CT) defensive end Dante Recker has gone public with his decision.
Recker, a 6-foot-6, 255-pound defensive end, committed to Maryland over Rice and Virginia as the Terps entered the weekend with the edge. Safeties coach Zac Spavital led the way with the unrated through the spring addition while co-defensive coordinator Brian Williams and defensive GA David Brownlee chipped in on recruiting efforts. Maryland became the first Power Four offer for Recker on April 11, joining Temple, Akron, Fordham, UConn and Bowling Green in the mix but there was never much doubt who led in the race.
“They’re my number one for sure. I love everything about them,” Recker told IBG ahead of his official visit. “It’s Big Ten football. I do really love the coaches and that’s the main thing. They’re freaking awesome. Big Ten football doesn’t get much better than that and it’s a pretty good education.”
After battling injuries through his freshman and sophomore season, Recker stepped into the rotations of one of the state’s best defensive lines where he went on to be named an honorable mention to The Almanac’s football all-star team after the 2023 season, while he’ll now head to Avon Old Farms (CT) in the fall for a post-grad season.
“We are happy to see Dante get on the field and contribute like he has been doing,” head coach TJ Plack said about Recker heading into the 2023 season. “He’s a very athletic young man that continues to improve as the season progresses.”
Recker is not yet rated by On3 as Maryland’s 2025 class is now up to ten commits, joining RB Bud Coombs, TE JT Taggart, WR Justin DeVaughn, OL Ben Beymer, IOL Kahlil Stewart, DL Braheem Battles, LB CJ Smith, CB Jett White and SAF Julien Horton.
Related Links
Hamond twins have Maryland high on their list after OV
Top target rates Maryland official a “nine out of ten”, talks highlight
Maryland pledge says official visit “was everything I imagined it would be and then some”
Fresh off Maryland official, in-state target has commitment timeframe