Boykins selects ACC school
Rivals 250 wide receiver Kerry Boykins from
Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake narrowed his college choices to three last
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month as he announced the finalists for his services as Maryland, North Carolina
and Virginia. Expectations at the time were that Maryland was the school
to beat and the school remained his top choice as he committed to the Terrapins
this afternoon.
The
6-foot-1, 210-pound receiver caught 37 passes for 715 yards and scored 5
touchdowns for Oscar Smith last season earning him a first team spot on the AP
All-State team as well as All-District and All-Region honors.
A combination of strength and speed, Boykins
runs a 4.5 forty and benched 185 pounds twenty-two times at a May combine where
he also showed off a 33.9-inch vertical leap.
What did Boykins like about Maryland?
"Since my sophomore year I have liked Maryland, once I got on campus I felt
at home there and really got along with the coaching staff," Boykins said.
Boykins was recruited by Maryland's offensive
line coach Tom Bratten, "I met him first my sophomore year, and really
liked him because he was a down to earth easy going guy", Boykins added.
Now that Boykins is committed what is he
looking forward to for his senior season? Boykins answered "All I
care about right now is the state title." What is Boykins
looking forward to when he arrives in College Park? "I am just going
to work hard to get on the field and try to make the NFL."
Maryland has successfully recruited the
Tidewater area the past two seasons landing Trenton Hughes, Haroon Brown,
Maurice Hampton, and Brian Whitemore from Oscar Smith High School.
Did that affect Boykins? "I did not really think about that,"
said Boykins, "I just liked Maryland because of their academics, football
program and their facilities."
Oscar Smith Head Coach Rich Morgan runs a
spread, pass-first offense which has helped the Tigers win three straight
district championships with Boykins being a key player in the last two.
What does he feel Boykins can bring to the
Maryland program? "Kerry is a game-breaking threat in any offense,
but he's also a big, physical target who can make that tough catch on
third-and-eight when you need a first down. Plus, he's a great character
kid who will always represent the school well both on and off the field."
What will Kerry most need to develop to play at
the next level? "Anyone who is still in high school still needs to
develop, but most college coaches that I've talked to say that they love that he
is a polished receiver. He pushes himself hard now, but against
college-level competition, he'll push himself even harder and that's what makes
kids like him dominant players."
Rod Johnson has been reporting on the
Eastern Region football scene since 2002 as he files weekly reports including
game recaps, Top Ten rankings, game predictions and player profiles as well as
special stories that pop up throughout the year. To contact him, please email easternregionrod@cox.net
or visit his My
Fan Page.