Anthony Sweeney and Jaiden Lindsay, two of the top football recruits in the state of Maryland for the class of 2027, already have offers from the University of Maryland.
But the dynamic duo from Good Counsel has drawn broad interest. Sweeney, an edge rusher, has 37 offers, he said, including from Alabama, Clemson and Georgia. Lindsay, an inside linebacker, has 13 offers, he said, with Penn State, West Virginia and Virginia Tech all in the mix.
With so many offers from colleges and universities that regularly feature in top bowl games and the College Football Playoff, are Sweeney and Lindsay even interested in Maryland at all?
The answer for both is a resounding yes. It’s their hometown team. And they think the Terps have the pieces to contend despite losing three straight.
“Most definitely,” Sweeney said. “I actually like what they have going on down there. I think they have a bright future.”
“Me too,” Lindsay said. “When I went up there a couple weeks ago, coach [Mike] Locksley told me they start a lot of freshmen. When those freshmen get developed, they are going to be good.”
As Lindsay said, they are young. They are starting true freshman Malik Washington at quarterback, and the Terps showed some promise by winning their first four games before dropping the next three. They face their toughest test of the season when they host No. 2 Indiana at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Maryland athletic director Jim Smith has continued to back Locksley, who is in the fifth year of his seven-year contract. There is a $13.4 million buyout, which would be a sizable amount for Maryland but small compared to other buyouts. Brian Kelly was fired from LSU earlier this week and was owed approximately $54 million.
If there is a coaching change at Maryland, or any school for that matter, Sweeney and Lindsay both said they would give the new coach a chance. However, it would feel like they are starting over with the school.
“When a coach leaves, it feels like technically you are losing an offer,” Sweeney said. “That new coaching staff still has to reevaluate you.”
Both intend to make official visits to Maryland next fall. Sweeney also thinks he’ll check out Alabama and South Carolina, while Lindsay intends to go to Penn State and Indiana.
Until then, they’ll keep leading Good Counsel (5-4) — which has a bye this week — while watching closely to see what unfolds at Maryland over the next year.
High school playoffs
It’s that time of the season again. State championships for cross-country, field hockey and flag football occur next weekend, so now is crunch time for teams trying to advance. Soccer and volleyball will follow in the second week of November, followed by football in December.
Five Montgomery County field hockey teams are still alive and vying for one of the spots in the state semifinals. Wootton will face Towson at 12 p.m. Saturday in the 3A bracket. In the 4A bracket on Friday, Churchill will play Dulaney and Quince Orchard will play Severna Park. On Saturday, Richard Montgomery will face Leonardtown and Blair will play Urbana.
Flag football has a full slate of regional playoff games this weekend, with nearly every Montgomery County team vying for a spot in next week’s championship game.
NCAA soccer: Big East women’s championship
Looking to see some high-level soccer? The Maryland SoccerPlex will host the Big East women’s soccer championship. The semifinals will be played on Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with the championship following at noon on Nov. 9.
NFL: Falcons at Patriots
Arnold Ebiketie is on his way to a career year with the Falcons. He was born in Cameroon and went to high school at Richard Montgomery and Albert Einstein before heading off to Temple University and later Penn State.
He was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft and has played in all but one game in his first three seasons. This year, with already 21 combined tackles and 11 solo tackles, he’s on pace to surpass the career highs of 38 and 26 he set a year ago.
The Falcons travel to face the Patriots at 1 p.m. on Sunday, where Ebiketie will face Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, two other players with Montgomery County connections.
NHL: San Jose Sharks
Patrick Giles, a Chevy Chase native who went to Landon School, is back in the NHL. The San Jose Sharks recalled the forward on Tuesday. They host the Colorado Avalanche at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Giles made his NHL debut last season, playing 17 games for the Florida Panthers and the Sharks and scoring one goal. He started this season with the Barracuda, the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, scoring one goal in four games.
Have a game, athlete or story you think we should write about? Send me an email at danielle.allentuck@thebanner.com.
Comments
Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines.