Coach Buzz Williams and Maryland men’s basketball were recently in the running for several high-profile recruits. But in the past few days the Terps missed out on two of them.
Four-star shooting guard Junior County, the No. 1 player in Utah and a top-40 recruit in the 2026 class per the 247Sports composite rankings, chose UConn over Maryland and other programs on Thursday.
Another four-star recruit, forward Trent Perry from Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, had Maryland in his top three schools before choosing Kansas on Wednesday. Either Perry or County would have been the Terps’ top-ranked 2026 class recruit.
247Sports predicts the Terps will fail to land another pair of prospects.
Four-star guard Trey Beamer from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and four-star forward Abdou Toure from Notre Dame in West Haven, Connecticut, have Maryland in their top schools. But 247Sports has given crystal ball predictions that they will go elsewhere.
Beamer is predicted to choose Boston College, while Toure is expected to commit to Providence. If Toure commits to the Friars, that would leave in-state five-star forward Baba Oladotun and four-star guard Kaden House as the only available players on 247Sports’ “Top Target” list for Maryland.
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Commits
Baseball
Ted Masino, 2027, Right-Handed Pitcher, Delbarton (Morristown, New Jersey)
Masino became coach Matt Swope and the Terps’ first pitcher commit of the 2027 class when he chose Maryland on Sept. 23. The 6-foot-1 right-hander throws a fastball that tops out at 90 miles per hour, which is 99th-percentile fastball velocity among 2027 prospects, according to Perfect Game.
The junior also throws a curveball that reaches the mid-70s. While third base is Masino’s secondary position on defense, he figures to pitch for the Terps.
Jack Swanson, 2027, Shortstop, Berlin (Berlin, Connecticut)
Swanson – Maryland’s third 2027 recruit from the northeast, joining Masino and Massachusetts native Jackson Fournier – has played all across the infield. His primary position is shortstop, but he’s seen time at third base, catcher and pitcher.
Visits
Women’s basketball
Kristen Winston, 2029, Guard, Hoover (Hoover, Alabama)
Coach Brenda Frese is already pushing to recruit Winston, a high-school freshman. Maryland offered the 5-foot-11 guard on July 16, and she visited College Park on Sept. 29.
Tennessee, Texas, Florida State, Michigan and several other Power Five programs have also offered Winston. She played for Hoover High School as an eighth-grader last year and won the Alabama Class 7A State Championship.
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Offers
Football
Nate Carson, 2027, Offensive Tackle, Irmo (Columbia, South Carolina)
The Terps offered Carson, a four-star prospect, on Sept. 30. Carson is the No. 4 player in South Carolina, No. 15 offensive tackle and No. 162 prospect overall, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.
He’s the second-highest offensive tackle Maryland has offered in the 2027 class, behind five-star Maxwell Hiller. It will be tough for the Terps to beat out South Carolina, Carson’s hometown school. 247Sports lists his interest in the Gamecocks as “warm,” the only school with that classification.
Men’s Basketball
Blaze Johnson, 2028, Guard, Overtime Elite (Atlanta, Georgia)
Maryland offered the 6-foot-3 guard on Aug. 14, and he has other offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech and UNLV.
At just 15 years old, Johnson is the youngest player in Overtime Elite, which doubles as an accredited high school and a basketball league typically for 16 to 20-year-old players. Overtime Elite has produced NBA talent such as Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Alex Sarr and Rob Dillingham.
The Terps now have ties to the league in Williams’ first year as coach.
Assistant coach and player personnel director Aki Collins, who joined Maryland alongside Williams, was most recently the recruiting and retention director for Overtime Elite from 2023 to 2025.
247Sports lists Johnson’s interest in Maryland as “warm.”
Theo Edema, 2027, Center, Cushing Academy (Ashburnham, Massachusetts)
Maryland offered Edema, a four-star prospect and the No. 1 player in Massachusetts in the 2027 class, on Aug. 14. He’s also received offers from Alabama, Georgetown, Kansas, Villanova and other schools.Williams enjoyed success recruiting from Massachusetts during his time at Texas A&M. Redshirt freshman guard Andre Mills (Boston) and redshirt freshman guard/forward George Turkson Jr. (Lowell) are both from the state.
At 6-foot-11, Edema is taller than any player on Maryland’s current roster.
