Put On For Your City

When Michael Locksley took over as the new head coach of the Maryland football program in December of 2018, he made it a point to “Wall off the DMV” on the recruiting trail and keep the top local talent home.

Just two months after taking the job, Locksley scored a major local recruiting win in the form of four-star safety Nick Cross committing to Maryland. Ten months later, another huge prize came to College Park as five-star wide receiver Rakim Jarrett committed to the Terps. 

Both players rank amongst the Top 10 players to ever commit to Maryland per 247Sports.

Now, nearly three years later, both Cross and Jarrett have blossomed into the stars that Terps fans and the Maryland coaching staff foresaw them being as they are setting the standard for what staying home and putting on for the hometown team could mean. 

“You know, when I thought about Maryland, it's right at home,” Cross said. “It’s right down the street from my parents. The football team was rebuilding with Coach Locks, and he’s someone I had a good relationship with.”

Cross’s commitment to Maryland was one of Locksley’s first major recruiting wins as he flipped the local DeMatha star from Florida State. At the time, the Hyattsville native cited the possibility of leading a program to blue-blood status instead of just being another cog in a machine.

The junior has been a mainstay in the lineup, as he’s appeared in all but one game in his career while forcing five turnovers and breaking up 16 passes. 

Jarrett can say the same, as he turned down offers from major programs like LSU, Alabama, and Penn State to stay home. The 2019 Washington D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year, Washington Post All-Met Offensive Player of the Year, and Under Armour All-American, Jarrett is one of the most decorated athletes to ever commit to the Terps. 

As a Terps fan as a child, Jarrett relished the opportunity to play for the hometown team and wanted to be one of the reasons why the program was on the upswing. 

“The Maryland pride [was a big factor],” Jarrett said. “To me, growing up here and seeing what other schools were doing because of guys who stayed home, I always felt I could do the same. There’s nothing better than doing something for your hometown and always being remembered for it.”

Like Cross, Jarrett has been a starter since he arrived in College Park and quickly became one of the favorite targets of quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. In just 12 games, the duo has already connected for 48 catches, over 700 yards, and seven touchdowns together. 

Some of Cross’ and Jarrett’s biggest games have come against the team they spurned in favor of Maryland.  

Last season in Happy Valley, Maryland played its first game against Penn State where both Cross and Jarrett were on the roster. The Terps shellacked the Nittany Lions thanks to star-making performances from the two local phenoms. 

"He had eight tackles, one for loss, one sack, two pass breakups, a forced fumble, and an interception,” ESPN college football analyst David Pollack said about Cross. “Nick Cross was all over the field. Maryland was all over the field. Maryland’s offense was awesome, too, but Nick Cross was a dude that stood out all week." 

Cross’s stat line was gaudy, with his first-quarter interception giving the Terps the momentum and his third quarter sack-forced fumble returned by the Terps for a touchdown. For as complete as his game was, Jarrett’s performance was just as stellar.

The man they call ‘Rak’ took two separate slant passes of 42 and 62 yards, respectively, and flew past the defense to put his team up 14-0. In just one quarter of play, Maryland fans everywhere saw that the Palmer Park, Maryland native, possessed immense potential. 

“That was a great feeling,” Jarrett said. “Coach Locksley texted me before that game, and he said that the whole country was waiting to see what I could do. So I think that was a great way to show them.”

Thanks to the efforts of Cross and Jarrett, Maryland steamrolled the Nittany Lions 35-19, a score that was not indicative of how swift the victory was. 

Nobody was happier to see the breakout performances than Locksley himself, as the fruits of his recruiting labor played out in one of the biggest games of the season against an opponent that students, fans, and alumni desperately want to beat. 

With the surrounding areas being one of the most fertile recruiting grounds for college athletics, Locksley and his staff are making it a point to prioritize the DMV. 

“For us, the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) corridor is the key to [recruiting],” Locksley said. “I've had a chance to coach in some other states and to see the pride that these states take. I feel like we're developing, and it's our job to continue to develop that pride to have the type of success with the flagship university of this area. It starts with getting local players [like Cross and Jarrett] to buy into it.”

Buy into it they have as this season as Jarrett has taken on an even bigger role in the offense. In the opening game against West Virginia; he hauled in six catches for 122 yards and a game-sealing touchdown. Cross was no slouch himself with six tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception against the Mountaineers. 

Now, just about two months later, with the team sitting just one win away from a bowl game, Cross and Jarrett will welcome the Penn State Nittany Lions into ‘The Shell’ with another chance to put on for their city against a Big East foe. 

“It’s definitely a different feel,” Cross said. “The team is definitely different. [Last year’s win] just shows that with hard work and execution that anything's possible.”