Terps Commit Marcus Bradley: ‘Something Very Special’ Brewing Thanks To Local Recruiting

Quince Orchard High School defensive tackle Marcus Bradley, a consensus four-star recruit who recently committed to Maryland, says the Terps can become a national power by keeping the best players from the DMV to stay home.

Maryland has the No. 14 recruiting class in the nation for 2021, according to 247Sports, with 13 players having committed to head coach Michael Locksley and the Terps. Other local recruits include four-star defensive end Demeioun Robinson (Quince Orchard), four-star defensive tackle Taizse Johnson (St. John’s) and three-star defensive end ZionAngelo Shockley (St. Frances).

The Terps haven’t had a winning season since 2014, but Bradley is confident Locksley has the program on the right track.

“We keep getting these recruits that we’re getting, it’s going to be something very special,” Bradley said on Glenn Clark Radio May 8. “People are going to look up, we’re going to be ranked one of the best teams in the nation. That’s what we’re shooting for.”

Bradley said he nearly committed to Ohio State, but his most recent visit to Maryland convinced him that staying home was the right choice. He also said Robinson, his high school teammate, committing to the Terps in late March made the decision a “no-brainer.”

The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Bradley said he plays everywhere on the defensive line — inside and on the edge — for Quince Orchard. He said he models his game after Cam Jordan of the New Orleans Saints and Fletcher Cox of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Maryland is 28-47 since joining the Big Ten. Bradley said helping the Terps turn it around would mean more to him than succeeding at any other school.

“It’s definitely going to leave a legacy because when you look at it, you go to these other places, you can go to an LSU, Ohio State, Tennessee,” Bradley said. “Most of those programs are already up and running. Being able to change it — especially where you’re from, you’re probably going to live here when you’re older — it’s just going to be a different feel to it.”

The Terps recently cracked Gonzaga quarterback Caleb Williams’ top three schools along with LSU and Oklahoma, which is presumed to be the favorite for him. Williams, the top-rated dual-threat quarterback in the nation, threw for 1,756 yards, ran for 838 yards and accounted for 36 touchdowns last year.

Bradley says he’d also like Northwest High School wide receiver Kaden Prather, a consensus four-star recruit in the Class of 2021, to come to Maryland to form a dynamic receiving corps with incoming freshman Rakim Jarrett.

“I’m going to respect anybody’s decision, wherever they go,” Bradley said. “But if I feel like you can fit here at home, I’m coming for them. I just tell them, ‘Your legacy’s going to be better here than anywhere else.’ Being able to do it here … is going to be better than going anywhere else.”

“The best players in Louisiana go to LSU. All the best players in Ohio go to Ohio State. The players in Florida go to Florida and Florida State,” Bradley added. “We need the players in the DMV to stay here.”

For more from Bradley, listen to the full interview here:

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Marcus Bradley

Luke Jackson

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