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H.D. Woodson (D.C.) cornerback Parnell Motley pushed back his commitment recently because he wanted to visit more schools. After his second visit, though, Motley felt comfortable enough to make his decision.
At Maryland's Big Show on Saturday, Motley spent time with the Terps' coaches and commits, and by the end of the night, the three-star rising senior had decided to announce his commitment to the hometown school.
"I just feel that Maryland is a great opportunity for me. They have a great program, great staff and I think they could be a school that pushes for a championship in the Big Ten. They have a chance to add a lot of talent, so I kind of thought it would be a great opportunity. That's when I asked to talk to coach [Randy] Edsall and let him know," Motley told InsideMDSports.com shortly after his commitment.
"[Edsall] smiled and said, 'Welcome aboard.' I feel good with my decision; it's the right place for me. I'm glad I'm a Terp."
Motley's commitment wasn't a knee-jerk reaction. After being high on Michigan State for months, Motley had begun to think about Maryland less and less when a recent visit to West Virginia changed his mind.
"It made me think that there's a lot of opportunities out there, so even though I was high on Michigan State, I wanted to take my time and make some more visits. But I just felt at home [at Maryland]. I feel comfortable with my decision. It was pretty easy for me when I walked out of the clubhouse," he said.
Motley's commitment helps shore up a thin secondary, giving the Terps another commitment along with Good Counsel's Travon Stott and Don Bosco Prep's Tyrone Hill. On Sunday, athlete Devin Butler also joined the class.
"Us three, we have to step up. I want to start my freshman year. I want to come in and make a difference, show that the future is bright at Maryland," Motley said.
Though he didn't participate in drills during the Big Show, the visit showed Motley that the facilities are top-notch.
"Man, it was beautiful, really. The field, the clubhouse were really nice walking through. They talked to me about the indoor facilities coming up, and it just blew me away. They have some of the nicest I've seen yet; definitely a big draw," Motley said.
All of those factors helped push the Washington product to commit. Now that he has, Motley will forgo future visits.
"I'll try to get back down to Maryland soon, but I'm not going to visit other schools," he said. "Clemson and Miami really want me to visit again, but I'm not going. I'm just going to take the rest of the summer to get better."
Some of those players Motley will train with are committed prospects, including teammate Abdul Adams, who's committed to Michigan State. Adams, a former Terps target, could look at Maryland more, especially with a need at running back. Motley said that although "Abdul will make his own decision," the new Terps commit will try and work on the Spartans commit.
"Maryland has a great opportunity to be great, be the next best thing in the Big Ten. I'm going to focus on myself, but when I visit, I'll try and bring [Abdul] with me to kind of open his eyes about the hometown school," Motley said. "Everyone in the area knows, if everyone in the area stays home, Maryland will be a powerhouse."
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