Rakim Jarrett ready to be 'a leader' for Terps incoming class

Maryland head coach Mike Locksley had himself quite the showing Dec. 18, as his 2020 recruiting class rounded into form on National Signing Day. But Locksley and Maryland’s day was highlighted by receiving a Letter of Intent from Washington (D.C.) St. John’s College High five-star wide receiver Rakim Jarrett, who had been committed to LSU since April but flipped to the Terps last minute when it came time to put pen to paper.

“As you can see throughout my recruiting process, I’m a different kind of guy,” Jarrett said. “I’m more so of a leader. I feel like this is a decision sort of like my high school decision back when I picked St. John’s over DeMatha, who was winning everything at the time. I wanted to go in and help, really challenge myself. I want to build Maryland back to where it could be, where the Alabamas and the LSUs are. I could have gone to LSU and been a highly touted player, but I would have just been another player. I can go to Maryland and leave a legacy if I do everything I need to do.

“It means more staying home because people will always respect you and I don’t think they would turn on me since I stayed home, so that was the main factor. And coach Locksley, the plan he put in place for me to develop me and the offense he runs. When he ran it at Alabama, Jerry Jeudy won the Biletnikoff (Award). It has proven to work; I think he just needs the right guys.”

Jarrett said he did not make his decision to flip to Maryland until the morning of National Signing Day, but he believes he can be the type of guy Locksley needs to execute his offense the right way.

But the 6-foot, 195-pound wideout isn’t alone in Maryland’s 2020 class when it comes to players who could have a major impact on the resurgence the Terps are aiming for.

The blue-chip local prospect, who officially visited College Park Dec. 6-8, is squarely focused on becoming the best player he can be in the short term, but he has high hopes for the future of Maryland’s program, starting with his recruiting class, which currently ranks 26th nationally.

“I don’t know what the state of the team is right now, I just know what I’m bringing to the table and some of the other guys I’ve talked to and the mindset that they have coming in,” Jarrett said. “Deajuan McDougle from Florida, he’s a name that I don’t think is spoken enough about. I think he’s just as good as me, per se, in terms of what he brings to the table. So I think the guys coming in can help us start to build this and point us in the right direction. It will take some time. I’m not saying we can go win the national championship next year or the year after that, but I’m saying it will happen. I’m not sure when, but it will happen.”

Jarrett isn’t planning on being too vocal when it comes to recruiting other players to join him at Maryland, at least not until he’s officially on campus next fall. But his former St. John’s teammate, now Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy Rivals100 defensive end, Demon Clowney, who also was previously committed to LSU, will likely receive a call or text soon after announcing today that he will not sign until National Signing Day in February.

“I did not know that [Demon Clowney] didn’t sign with LSU, but I will definitely hit him up and give a little good word out for Maryland. So we’ll see,” Jarrett said.

Rivals national analyst Adam Friedman contributed to this story.