In a shocker, five-star wide receiver Rakim Jarrett flipped his commitment from LSU to Maryland Wednesday. Jarrett starred at nearby St. John’s (DC) and had been an early commit for LSU. However, on National Signing Day, the star wideout opted to stay close to home.
Jarrett, who measures at 6-foot-0, 208 pounds, is the No. 2 wide receiver in the nation and best player in Washington, DC, according to Rivals. 247 Sports equally touted him as one of the best high school wide receivers in the nation.
Jarrett is choosing to establish a culture over one that is already set. LSU is the No. 1 team in the nation and headed to the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed.
It’s a program that in recent years has produced NFL wide receivers, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Russell Gage, and DJ Chark. However, Jarrett is set to join a program coming off a 3-9 season in the Big Ten and questions still surrounding it’s head coach, Locksley, heading into his second year.
Jarrett has felt like a quiet potential flip for a while, but for most it seemed the best best was that he would wait until spring and Maryland could win a marathon. To flip him early given LSU’s season (and Maryland’s) is one of the biggest recruiting wins ever for Maryland.
— Jeff Ermann (@Jeff_Ermann) December 18, 2019
Still, Maryland’s recent track record of wide receivers to the NFL is not too shabby with Stefon Diggs and DJ Moore both being top targeted options on their respective teams. Locksley has a track record of his own of producing wideouts to the NFL.
There is no question Jarrett is a Sunday talent. The question now is can Locksley and his Maryland staff progress his development for the NFL. Landing Jarrett confirms Locksley’s status as a strong recruiter, especially in the DMV area. Hopefully, the program can reap the rewards of such a signing on the field, as well.
