By Mike Loveday

Gwynn Park's Everett Weldon committed to play football for Towson today, according to head coach Danny Hayes. 

Weldon is the first Yellow Jacket to commit to a college, but Hayes said a few of his other players are expected to reach decisions shortly. 

Check back frequently for more recruiting updates, but while you wait, check out the 2010 Verbal Commit List.

ESPNRise encourages comments from its users. Leave a comment below. Mike Loveday covers high school sports for ESPNRISE.com. Mike can be reached at Michael.Loveday@espn.com

By Mike Loveday

The University of Maryland has made its presence known over the last few weeks – extending offer to several in-state football players – many of them their first offers.

The latest set are four DeMatha athletes: Marcus Coker, Ari Kouandjio, Mike Coley and Lorenzo Waters.

All four are juniors and this is their first official offer. Coker is being looked at for either running back or linebacker. Kouandjio is an offensive tackle and Coley is a receiver and defensive back.

Mike Loveday covers high school sports for ESPNRISE.com. Mike can be reached at Michael.Loveday@espn.com

By Mike Loveday

Calvert's Brandon Greening verbally committed to Towson University yesterday. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound athlete confirmed his commitment via e-mail late Tuesday evening.

"After taking my official visit this weekend to Towson University, I have decided to commit to the Tigers and coach [Rob] Ambrose.  It was a very good visit and I feel that no other visits will be necessary," Greening stated via e-mail. "I will start off as a safety and kick returner but coach Ambrose would also like to see me on the offensive side of the ball."

Greening chose Towson over offers from Liberty, Maine, Albany, Sacred Heart and Marist.

<p><i>Mike Loveday covers high school sports for ESPNRISE.com. Mike can be reached at <a href="mailto:Michael.Loveday@espn.com">Michael.Loveday@espn.com</a></i></p>

By Mike Loveday

Parkville linebacker Joshua Alaeze's recruiting has started to pick up some speed since his season ended.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound junior picked up his third official offer last week – this one from New Mexico. Alaeze already held offers from Towson and Pittsburgh. Alaeze picked up his first offer [Towson] on Sunday July, 27 when he attended the Tigers camp.

Alaeze played in Parkville's first eight games of the season [he missed the last two due to a broken hand] and recorded 89 tackles, seven forced fumbles and six sacks.

One of ESPNRISE.com/MDVarsity.com's Nine to watch in 2009, Alaeze began making a name for himself over the summer when he ran a 4.7 40-yard dash and put up 23 repetitions of 155 pounds at the Schumann's National Underclassman Combine.

Other recruiting news and notes

I meant to post this a few days ago, but with commitments seemingly happening non-stop it slipped my mind. DeMatha's Raheem Cardwell officially decommitted from Syracuse last Monday.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound linebacker told Stags head coach Bill McGregor on Monday that he was not sure about remaining with the Orange.

Cardwell along with linemen Calvin McDowney had a visit planned to Toledo this weekend.

Staying with DeMatha, quarterback Tom Chroniger has offers from Eastern Michigan, James Madison, New Mexico and Towson and has a planned visit for JMU. According to McGregor, Maryland has been expressing interest in Chroniger as a safety.

Mike Loveday covers high school sports for ESPNRISE.com. Mike can be reached at Michael.Loveday@espn.com

By Mike Loveday

It's been a crazy past 24 hours to say the least. Hot on the heels of the top two linemen on our list of uncommitted athletes, Allegany's Justin Hymes has made his college choice. 

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound offensive lineman had been hoping for an offer from West Virginia, but choosing to become a Bulldog, to me, is more impressive. Hymes committed to attend and play football for Yale over the weekend. 

Hymes visited the New Haven (Conn.) school over the weekend. He chose Yale over offers from Towson, Harvard, Maryland and Akron.

Hymes commitment makes three linemen that have committed since Sunday. Raynard Randolph and Jeremiah Mathis made their college choices on Sunday. You can read more about those commitments below.

With the flurry of activity yesterday and today, look out for several new Uncommitted stories in the next two days. ... Assuming the commitments don't come in faster than we can update.

Looking ahead: We have already begun profling 2010 athletes. The first story ran Monday, profiling Tuscarora's Josh Marshall. New profiles will run every Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the Winter and Spring. To be considered for profling fill out the Player Prospect Form and e-mail it to Mike.

Also, begin looking for a featured video of the week on Thursday's. Each week we will post a new highlight video. To find out how to get your video featured e-mail Mike.

Mike Loveday covers high school sports for ESPNRISE.com. Mike can be reached at Michael.Loveday@espn.com

By Mike Loveday

Dunbar's Tavon Austin commitment to West Virginia only leaves a few more marquee athletes undecided on their college location. One of those is Meade's Raymond Cotton.

I touched base with Meade head coach Lance Clelland and he told me that Cotton has visits set up to Ole' Miss and Southern Mississippi. The Alabama native was once committed to Auburn, but reopened his recruiting once Tommy Tuberville was fired after the season.

In addition to Cotton, Meade has a couple other players that are getting college looks.

Senior receiver Trevor Turner has an offer from Rhode Island and Cotton's other receiver Darrius Brown is gaining interest from Shepherd, Morgan State and West Virginia State.

Loyola has a trio of talented athletes still looking for colleges: Doug Shaw, Brandon Floyd and Matt Heacock all helped lead the Don's to the MIAA A Conference championship, but all three remain without a college offer.

Wide Receiver Floyd is going to visit Georgetown, Penn and Bucknell and according to head coach Brian Abbott the senior is more geared towards an academic school. Shaw and Heacock's recruiting has been slow because, according to Abbott, both players do not fit the prototypical size most colleges seek for their respective positions.

Heacock is a 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker and Shaw is a 6-foot, 250-pound offensive lineman.

Shaw was receiving interest from former UConn assistant coach and new Towson head coach Rob Ambrose. Ambrose was looking at moving Shaw to fullback according to Abbott so it is possible that Towson will be looking to beef up its recruiting class in the last month before Signing Day.

Make sure to check MDVarsity.com's front page on Friday for a commitment announcement.
 

By Mike Loveday

'Tis the season for college recruiters to once again start knocking on doors and picking up the telephone in hopes of landing the next big recruit. For several Maryland high school football players that has meant a flurry of activity in the past week.

C.H. Flowers running back James Jenkins received his first official offer - on Christmas Day! The senior who rushed for more than 300 yards this season picked up an offer from Stony Brook.

Dunbar senior linebacker Gary Oneukwuski will begin official visits to the schools to have officially offered Temple and Liberty. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound linebacker, who MDVarsity.com listed as the fourth best available linebacker in the state, will head to Liberty on Jan. 16 followed by a visit to Temple on Jan. 23.  Oneukwuski is one to keep an eye on after his stellar performance in the Class 1A title game. The senior made several big hits and was always near the ball.

DeMatha head coach Bill McGregor has been trying to keep up with Jeremiah Mathis' offers over the past two weeks.  The 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive lineman and linebacker picked up offers from New Mexico and Kansas State just before Christmas. Clemson, Maryland and Wake Forest had already made official offers and it looks like the University of Virginia is getting close to making it official.

Another Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) athlete picking up some recruiting steam is Good Counsel's Mike Wallace. MDVarsity.com's No. 2 rated available defensive back already held offers from Stanford, Army, Monmouth, Bryant, Stony Brook Towson and Maine. Now the 5-foot-10, 182-pound defensive back can add New Mexico to a list of offers that should be expanding over the next few weeks. According to assistant coach Kevin McFadden, Wallace is getting serious interest from Penn State, Michigan State and South Carolina.

Staying in Olney, a pair of Good Counsel lineman are also receiving Division I-AA/II interest. Offensive lineman Devin Gordon-Hamm already holds an offer from Wagner and is getting interest from Bucknell, Norfolk State, North Carolina Central and the Citadel.

Lineman Tim Anderson already held an offer from UMass and is getting interest from Colgate and Bucknell.

By Mike Loveday
ESPNRISE.com

Continuing the recruiting update from Friday and the Maryland Film Festival, I want to take a look at some juniors who have been gaining serious interest from college.

Thomas Johnson's Nick Forbes is up to 10 offers. He has already visited Stanford and holds offers from Boston College, Maryland, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Virginia. The 6-foot-0, 220-pound Forbes is being recruited as a linebacker and has also received interest from UCLA, Colorado, Alabama and Virginia Tech.

Sticking with Thomas Johnson, 6-foot-1, 225-pound Jeremy Grove holds no official offers yet, but is getting interest from Eastern Michigan, Syracuse, Pittsburg, Notre Dame and Virginia. Grove is also being recruited as a linebacker.

Moving on to the class of 2009, Good Counsel's Mike Wallace picked up another offer today. According to Wallace's father, Mike Wallace, the defensive back picked up an offer from New Hampshire. That offer puts the senior up to seven with Stanford, Army, Monmouth, Bryant, Stony Brook and Towson all having officially made offers.

Clarksburg's Marcus Kinney has expressed interest in attending a service academy, according to head coach Larry Hurd.

Rockville's offensive lineman Ronnie Heckman is getting interest from Ohio University and Towson. According to head coach Mark Maradei the senior's brother attends Salisbury, so Heckman has been inquiring about playing football on the Eastern Shore.

Northwest lineman Drew Cheripko was once committed to Eastern Michigan, but has opted to reopen his recruiting. The senior holds three offers, Eastern Michigan, Towson and Old Dominion.

6-foot, 170-pound Gary Fortune had a breakout senior season for Lackey. Now the defensive back is picking up college interest. According to one of the Chargers assistant coaches, Fortune is getting interest from several MAC schools.

Suitland has had its share of Division I-A athletes in head coach Nick Lynch's tenure. The latest athlete is linebacker John Darr. The 6-foot, 210-pound senior has been getting interest from New Hampshire, Delaware, Duquesne and Colgate.

To read the first part of the recruiting update CLICK HERE.

By Mike Loveday
ESPNRISE.com

Archbiship Curley's Joe Petrides becomes one of the latest Maryland athletes to verbally commit to college. The senior lineman committed to the University of Akron two weeks ago, according to head coach Sean Murphy.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Petrides was being recruited by Buffalo, Akron, UConn, Richmond, James Madison, Delaware & New Hampshire with Buffalo and Akron making early offers.  Coach Mauro Monz recruited him from Akron.

"I think Joe has the athleticism, work ethic, leadership as well as a nasty streak on the field  that will enable him to be a very good D-1 player," Murphy said via e-mail. "He had a great season for us.  He helped us finish with an 8-3 record.  We were 25 - 9 during his three years as a starter on the varsity.  The best three-year record in the history of our school. He finished with 77 tackles, 17 unassisted, six sacks, six knocked down passes and a blocked kick.  On offense, we rushed for over 3,200 yards, most coming from behind Joe."

Other news and notes: Tuscarora looks to have another highly touted recruit for next season. The 6-foot-6, 312-pound Hansen Barrick has been gaining college interest. The junior lineman took an unofficial visit to the University of Virginia for the Clemson game, according to Barrick's father. Over Thanksgiving weekend Barrick took in the Georgia Tech vs. Georgia held at Georgia.

Good Counsel's Mike Wallace has also been seeing increased college interest.  The 5-foot-10, 180-pound defensive back picked up an offer from Stony Brook just before the WCAC championship game two weeks ago. That offer puts the senior up to six with Stanford, Army, Monmouth, Bryant and Towson all having officially made offers.

MDVarsity.com will have more recuriting information in the coming weeks as the regular season ends and the offseason begins.

E-mail Mike at Michael.Loveday@espn.com