A massive weekend on the recruiting front for the basketball program ended with big news on Sunday, when Class of 2025 Marcus Jackson verbally committed to Kevin Willard and the Terps’staff. The Baltimore native, who climbed toward the top of Maryland’s board with his strong play over the summer, told InsideMDsports exclusively that he’d picked the Terps.
“Maryland is just home,” Jackson told IMS. “Guys in the coaching staff and some of the players have been around me my entire life. Why not stay somewhere where I know I’m going to be protected, safe and have the academic resources that I’ll need to succeed?”
Jackson, who held offers from Arizona State, Auburn, Georgetown and Seton Hall among others, will spend his senior season of high school playing for Pete Caffey at Arizona Compass Prep (Ariz.) before returning back to his home state. The idea of playing alongside Derik Queen and being guided by those on the staff such as Baltimore natives Kevin Norris, Ricky Harris and Greg Manning (who has close ties with the city), presented a foundation that Jackson couldn’t turn down.
“I’ve wanted to play with Derik at the college level for years now. I think both of us can unlock other parts of our games because we have the chemistry and our strengths go well together. We’ll have a Baltimore frontcourt that’s going to bring winning to Maryland.”
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The 6-foot-8 southpaw forward is has elite athleticism and has been adding more tools to his bucket. He’s been on a steady rise in the rankings and currently sits at the No. 107 spot with a strong chance of cracking the top 100 in the upcoming update after he helped lead Team Thrill to the UAA 17U Championship, averaging 15 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks per game in the Under Armour Association Finals.
“As long as I take care of what I need to take care of, everything is going to fall into place when it comes to that. I’ve improved over the last two years from someone who wasn’t as known to who I am now. I’m just going to continue to put the work in and want to bring back the fire and energy to Maryland.”
What else won him over?
“The love that they showed me throughout the visit was genuine. There were so many familiar faces that they brought back to campus just for me. It was just a lot of love and it’s what I want to be a part of, he said.
Jackson becomes Willard’s first commitment in the 2025 class. Maryland also hosted top-50 South Lakes (Va.) forward Jordan Scott over the weekend and has several more options on the board
Jackson is one of the most athletic forwards in the class, part of his intriguing potential as a long-term prospect. Once just a rim-rocking dunker, he showed great improvement this spring and summer with his catch-and-shoot game and his ability to alter shots at the rim with regularity is a prized skill.
