Maryland pledge decommits after Penn State football offer

A Florida defender is back on the market just days after picking up an offer from Penn State football. On Sunday, Mandarin High School three-star defensive lineman Brian Harris announced his decommitment from Maryland after six months as a Terrapins pledge.

“This was not an easy decision, but with two of the major factors in my recruitment now at different programs, I feel it is important for me to step back and fully reassess my options,” Harris wrote on X. “My goal is to find the best overall fit for me, both athletically and academically, and I want to ensure that every school has a fair opportunity to recruit me.”

Over the last month, Maryland has lost defensive coordinator Brian Williams, who left for the same role at Jacksonville State, and inside linebackers coach Lance Thompson, who is joining the staff at North Carolina.

#AGTG @MonsterBrad5 @Andrew_Ivins @JohnGarcia_Jr @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong_ @MohrRecruiting@247Sports @samspiegs @CraigHaubert @RivalsFriedman@MHSsportszone pic.twitter.com/Pq4lA80g4n

— Brian Harris (@BrianHarr1s) February 16, 2025

According to Harris, the Terrapins will still be under consideration during his recruitment. However, the Big Ten rival won’t be the only program with which James Franklin and the Nittany Lions will have to compete for a commitment. The 6-4, 290-pound defensive lineman already has official visits set with several ACC, Big 12, and SEC schools for this spring and summer: Stanford (May 30), West Virginia (June 6), NC State (June 13), and South Carolina (June 20).

Harris is the No. 50 defensive line prospect and the No. 71-ranked player in Florida in On3’s 2026 recruiting rankings. He had 29 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss in 10 games as a junior, according to MaxPreps.

Four-star Princeton (West Virginia) edge Daniel Jennings is the only defensive line commitment for Penn State football so far in the Nittany Lions’ top-10 2026 recruiting class.

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