Jan 19, 2016 11:42 AM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Dwayne Haskins dealt Maryland a crushing blow not only be de-committing but by switching his choice to Ohio State.

The highly rated pro-style QB and Potomac, Md. native announced Monday he was verbally committing to Ohio State, according to ESPN. With J.T. Barrett going into what could be his final season of college football, head coach Urban Meyer will need a replacement at QB for the next season.

Scheduled to arrive on campus this fall, Haskins could redshirt and compete for the starting QB role the following season. Even after committing to Maryland in May, he took official visits to Columbus as well as Baton Rouge following Feleipe Franks' de-commitment from LSU, NOLA.com noted.

"It has been a dream of mine to play for Ohio State," Haskins said in a statement. "This prestigious university best represents my family values, and playing under Urban Meyer's strong leadership abilities and a person that I can have a relationship with after football was important."

Both ESPN and 247 Sports rank Haskins among the best pro-style QBs in the class of 2016. Whereas Barrett is a dynamic runner and dangerous in the open field, Haskins is a pass-first QB with the athleticism to scramble in times of need.

But Haskins shares several, more important similarities with Barrett. For example, evaluators like Haskins' mental makeup and believe he has good presence pre-snap and in the pocket. When throwing the ball, he also favors accuracy and a faster release over velocity, which can result in him hitting smaller windows, making better decisions, and completing a higher percentage of passes.

Following Haskins from Maryland to Ohio State was four-star linebacker Keandre Jones, and the pair switch their commitments the same day Meyer received a verbal commitment from four-star receiver Binjimen Victor.

ESPN ranks Ohio State's 2016 recruiting class fifth overall, having been recently surpassed by Jim Harbaugh's at Michigan.

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