Iowa State commit Xavier Townsend picks up Maryland offer

Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep running back Xavier Townsend has been committed to Iowa State since July, but that hasn’t stopped other programs from pursuing him.

The latest to join the fray for the three-star running is Maryland, which extended an offer on Wednesday. Townsend is the No. 648 player in 2022, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Extremely Blessed to receive an Offer from the University of Maryland!!🔴 ⚫️ @coachBrawl @TerpsFootball @BPS_Football pic.twitter.com/8lqBUTCk8a

— Xavier Townsend (@xtowns07) November 10, 2021

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Townsend picked the Cyclones over UCF, Vanderbilt and Louisville, as well as more than two dozen other offers. Through nine games this season, Townsend has rushed for 712 yards and 13 touchdowns on just 66 carries. He has added 16 catches for 391 yards and seven touchdowns as well.

His breakout performance came in a nationally televised matchup against New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman and 2023 No. 1 overall player Arch Manning last month. Townsend totaled 351 yards on offense and scored five touchdowns on 18 touches. He also added an interception of defense as Berkeley Prep rolled to a 49-24 victory.

Xavier Townsend is one of 19 commits for Iowa State, which holds the No. 33 spot in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings. The Cyclones have seen a major jump there for a year ago, when they finished with the country’s No. 58 class.

Their 2022 crop is headlined by four-star defensive lineman Hunter Deyo and four-star wide receiver Greg Gaines.