Can you 'Diggs' it? I can

Going with the nickname that Testudo Times has given today, happy Stefonukkah everyone. Friday night Stefon Diggs, Rival's no. 8 overall prospect and no. 1 player in Maryland, will announce his college selection. As many already know Diggs capped off his college visits with a trip to Maryland last weekend to watch the Terps play UNC in basketball. What exactly would his commitment mean to Maryland football and what are the odds that he decides to come to Maryland?

First let's look at the odds that he comes to Maryland. Having the last visit may be key for the Terps here. Many reporters have said that after each visit he has made that school his favorite. With the Terps visit fresh in his mind he may decide to pull the trigger and stay at home with Maryland. Maryland pulled out all the stops on his recruiting visit. QB Danny O'Brien was his host on his visit and Diggs seemed to be much more of a priority on his visit than many other recruits. Typically the recruits sit on the lower section of the wall at the basketball games. However Diggs, his family, Coach Edsall, Coach Locksley, and DOB sat across the court behind the other basket. The fact that Edsall and Locksley were there with him shows the importance and how much they are pushing for Diggs. 

Diggs is good friends and high school teammates with Wes Brown, another Maryland commit from Good Counsel in nearby Olney, MD. In a Rivals article from March of last year, Brown and Diggs alluded to the fact that they could be a package deal in choosing where to play college football. Could this have changed since their Junior year? Of course. However, the fact that they are friends and are used to playing with each other can only play in the Terps favor. They were a force at Good Counsel, leading the Falcons to a perfect 12-0 season and a no. 6 ranking in the final USAToday poll. The opportunity to continue playing at a local college where they both will have the opportunity to play right away is very enticing to them.

Let me tell you about my best friend Credit: Rivals.com

Another potential reason why Diggs might be enticed to come is the before mentioned opportunity for playing time. As the nations no. 8 overall recruit he is certainly talented enough to see the field from day one. Kerry Boykins and Kevin Dorsey are the only two wide receivers returning to Maryland that have a whole lot of experience. Outside of that Devin Burns a converted quarterback, Markus Leak who played as a true freshman and recorded 10 catches for 49 yards and Nigel King a redshirt freshman who dealt with eligibility issues this past year and will be ready to play in 2012 are the only receivers who return and could possibly challenge Diggs for playing time.

What is the likelihood that Diggs commits is another question. Mike Farrell from Rivals is predicting a Diggs to Maryland announcement tomorrow. Farrell is a  very reliable source who has been on top of this situation from the beginning. Diggs was originally planning on announcing on Comcast SportsNet a regional TV station however that appears to have changed according to Terrapin Nation. If he had announced on regional television that would have been a strong indication for the Terps however it is up in the air again. Also tonight, Josh Barr, the Terps Insider with the Washington Post is reporting that Diggs will in fact commit to Maryland tomorrow afternoon. This is big news as Barr is a very reputable source and is not known to report or leak information that he does not know to be true. In the meantime, Diggs has not officially said anything, instead leaving speculation open via his Twitter account all day.

Outside of Diggs obvious on the field skills this would give Maryland a lot of momentum going into the 2013 recruiting season. Two of Diggs Good Counsel teammates are in the Rivals Top 100 for the 2013 class. Defensive back Kendall Fuller who is the number four overall player as well as Dorian O'Daniel who is a linebacker ranked the 37th best player. Maryland has offered both of them and adding another one of their teammates couldn't hurt. Derwin Gray is another local considering the Terps who is a four star for 2013. Henry Poggi the high school teammate of Kenneth Goins is another four star from Gilman considering the Terps, as well as Adam Breneman a tight end from Pennsylvania who was with Diggs at the UNC game. Locksley locking up Diggs a huge national recruit who is local would be great for the team pitching the future to these 2013 local stars. As Jalen Tabor famously said "If everyone from our area stayed at home and went to Maryland we would win the ACC Championship in a minute." (fast forward to the 1 minute mark)

I don't want to get ahead of myself, the commitment of Diggs is far from a certain thing. However, it would have huge ramifications both for next years team as well as selling the program to future recruits. Whether he commits or not, being in his final five is a great achievement in itself, but it's time for Maryland to be the groom not a best man like they were for Eddie Goldman and Noah Spence.

-VEB