JUCO OL Johari Branch ready to bring winning culture to Maryland

Maryland needs linemen on both sides of the ball that are ready to come in and make an immediate impact. In order to get the size and experience needed to fulfill those standards in his 2020 recruiting class, head coach Mike Locksley has gone the JUCO route, where he recently received a huge haul from Independence (Kan.) Independence C.C.

Four Indy Pirates have made their pledge to Maryland in the last 10 days, but it was three-star offensive lineman Johari Branch that was first to pull the trigger, choosing the Terps over Purdue, Southern Mississippi, UAB, and others.

“Me and my family thought it was the best fit for me,” Branch told TSR. “I also feel like I could help coach Locksley change the culture at Maryland. I have a great relationship with Locksley and also (offensive line) coach (John) Reagan too. Both guys want me to come in and compete for a job and also be a leader since I’m a JUCO guy.”

The 6-foot-3, 315-pound blocker is a big get for the Terps, both literally and figuratively. He primarily played guard at Independence but has been preparing for Power Five football the entire time by working on his versatility so that he can be a guard or a tackle at the next level.

“JUCO was a humbling experience,” Branch said. “It changed my view on life and also taught me how to work hard. At JUCO, I practiced mainly guard but also worked techniques for the other ones as well. I think me being versatile will give me a boost at the next level.”

Branch took an official visit to College Park with the rest of his Indy teammates Dec. 6, and he was taken aback by Maryland’s campus and all that the student-athletes have at their disposal.

“I enjoyed meeting the staff from all the coaches to the academic staff. I feel like they all care about you academically and want to see you succeed and get your degree,” Branch said. “The new (football) facility that’s being built also stood out to me as well.”

The Chicago native didn’t go to Maryland knowing he and his JUCO teammates would all feel the same way about the school, but he’s glad to have a support system coming with him to College Park and believes Independence’s winning culture of late can rub off on the Terps.

“It’s great, especially knowing how hard we worked every day at JUCO and we just trusted our coaching staff,” Branch said. “It’s also great because we can bring the culture from Indy to Maryland and I feel like that could help them out as well. We are all close and just became even closer once we decided we were going to be Terps.”

Branch plans to sign with Maryland Dec. 18 during the early signing period and will be an early enrollee for the Terps, joining the team in January.