Wake Forest Demon Deacons Football Recruiting: Will Likely picks Maryland
The Maryland Terrapins landed a big 2013 commit from high-end three-star cornerback Will Likely, who is widely viewed as a top 25 cornerback in this class. In fact, Likely is a member of the Rivals250 (199th, to be exact) and is clearly one of the top 50 standouts in the talent-rich state of Florida.
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A day before his commitment to the Terps, Likely named them as his leaders. Two weeks prior to that, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons made his top five with Maryland, Louisville, Florida State, and LSU. Those are some big-name programs, so give a lot of credit to Wake Forest’s staff to be able to nearly get a commitment from the elite CB, in addition to an official visit. Likely took official trips to Maryland, Wake Forest, Miami, and Florida State, and he also had an unofficial visit to Florida.
The 5’7″, 171 pound athlete definitely lacks height, but he certainly doesn’t lack talent and athleticism. Likely runs a 4.65 forty and could also play receiver at the collegiate level. However, he fits best as a corner. For Glades Central, he rushed for over 1,200 yards on just 90 carries, and he also returned two kicks for touchdowns. Likely recorded 47 tackles, picked off four passes, returned four punts for touchdowns, rushed for 17 more, and he also chipped in with 35 receiving yards.
Will Likely is a huge commitment for the Maryland Terrapins, and he is their third best commit in the 2013 class. Had he chosen Wake Forest, he would have been the biggest prize in the Deacs class. But it’s no surprise that he picked Maryland, and the commitment is even more impressive when considering all the schools who offered him.
The instinctive, explosive CB is a true steal for Maryland, and he’s been underrated due to his height. His explosiveness, multi-threat ability, athleticism, and high school numbers paint the picture of a four-star prospects who belongs in Rivals top 250.
Maryland, Alabama, Wake Forest, Florida State, Georgia, Florida, Miami, Indiana, LSU, Louisville, Ole Miss, Stanford, Purdue, USC, Oregon, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, USF, and Washington all offered the elite athlete, and those offers prove his worth to college coaches. Will Likely’s in-home visit early this month was big in helping Maryland beat out powerhouses LSU and FSU for the four-star Floridian, and I can’t wait to see what he can do in college.
You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.