Maryland basketball and head coach Kevin Willard landed their first commitment of the 2025 recruiting cycle Sept. 8, as Chandler (Ariz.) Compass Prep three-star center and Baltimore native Marcus Jackson gave his verbal pledge to the Terps following the conclusion of his official visit to College Park.

Jackson, who played for Baltimore based Team Thrill on the Under Armour AAU circuit, chose the Terps over Auburn, Iowa and more.

The 6-foot-9, 220-pound southpaw bruiser averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks this past July in helping Team Thrill capture the Under Armour Association 17U title.

Jackson originally planned on taking official visits to Auburn and Iowa following his Maryland visit with the intention of committing later in the year, but the local product saw enough during his trip to College Park to shut down his recruitment.

There was more than basketball that played a pivotal role for Jackson in his decision making.

"One of the biggest things for me is the academics. I want to study electrical engineering, so that’s something that I’ll be looking into at the different schools,” Jackson previously told Rivals.

In the end, Jackson put a big premium on camaraderie with his teammates. So it certainly didn't hurt that the Terps had former Team Thrill teammate Derik Queen already on the roster.

“I’m a team guy, so I want to be with a group of guys that’s like a family and comes together on the court like that,” Jackson said last month. “Like at the Elite 24 last week, me and the guys on that team go way back and we played great together because of that. That’s the kind of situation I want to be in at the next level.”

Jackson wasn't the only top local prospect taking an official visit to Maryland this past weekend. The Terps also hosted Reston (Va.) South Lakes Rivals150 four-star wing Jordan Scott, the son of former Terps women's hoops star Christy Winters-Scott.