Spalding LB Keion Flowers commits to Maryland, but will walk a different path than his twin

Keion Flowers watched his brother blow up and took it all in. His twin, Keyshawn, just announced his commitment to play football at Maryland on Twitter, spurning offers from Alabama, Notre Dame and 25 other Division I schools to stay local. The post accrued hundreds of likes and retweets in minutes. Media and fans alike commented on how good of a get the three-star Class of 2024 linebacker was for the Terps and sixth-year coach Mike Locksley. Keion, a fellow rising senior and linebacker with his brother at Archbishop Spalding, posted an hour later. If his brother was going to Maryland, so was he. “The official visit really locked in the decision. It just felt like home,” Flowers said. “There was a really, really good feeling and we, me and my brother, could definitely see ourselves fitting in and playing there.” Staying home!! 🐢 #TBIA #Committed pic.twitter.com/3XRywyvBkn — Keion Flowers (@flowers_keion) June 30, 2023 Unlike Keyshawn, who is currently Maryland’s top recruit of his class, Keion is walking on, meaning he’ll have to work for a spot on the team. He hasn’t been given a star ranking by 247Sports or Rivals. He didn’t have the breakout season his twin did, which afforded him all this attention to begin with. But that doesn’t count him out, even a little bit. “He’s going to go into a situation and be persistent,” Spalding coach Kyle Schmitt said. “It’s a battle of attrition and a college team like Maryland, and the Big Ten, Keion’s fought through that before. He’s a really resilient person and player.” Keion Flowers, a rising senior linebacker at Archbishop Spalding, committed to joining his twin brother at Maryland. “It’s gonna be so cool to do this together at the next level,” Flowers said. Keion Flowers, a rising senior linebacker at Archbishop Spalding, committed to joining his twin brother at Maryland. “It’s gonna be so cool to do this together at the next level,” Flowers said. (Handout from Jeff Burke/Kyle ) Flowers knows walking on puts him on a rocky path. He’s focusing on having the right mindset, giving his best each day and working to stay consistent. It’s not an impossible path for Anne Arundel County graduates, either, as of late. Last summer, Maryland awarded Chesapeake graduate Colton Spangler, a punter, a full scholarship for his senior season to thank him after serving the Terps for three years as a preferred walk-on. In the meantime, Flowers’ attention lies with the upcoming varsity season. His potential to blow up as his twin did lies with it. “I definitely have to get a little faster, work on my pass drop. Just little things to master my craft,” Flowers said. “I think [the commitment] relieves the pressure for now. Now people can start seeing me do better and earn a spot.” Part of why Keion didn’t get the chance to break out in his junior season is Spalding’s deep roster. Keyshawn earned his starting spot last year upon the graduation of current Maryland linebacker Kellan Wyatt. Keion, meanwhile, sat behind Gio Boone and PJ Poknis on the outside linebacker depth chart; as consistently productive as Boone and Poknis were, it left the junior few chances. But not none. Before the Nov. 5 game at Mount Saint Joseph, illness flushed through Spalding’s ranks and Flowers earned time on the field. He recorded a few tackles and sacks to help the Cavaliers secure the top spot in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference playoff seedings. “Keion had a tough week prior and we started another kid, but when we decided to make a move in the first quarter, he just totally ate up the opportunity,” Schmitt said. “It was an emotional moment for a lot of his teammates to see him get the chance.” Flowers had a good offseason, the coach said, alongside his brother. As a rule, no spots are guaranteed, but Schmitt sees a very good possibility that Keion starts on the outside this fall. As younger kids, Keion didn’t see himself and his twin ending up at the same college. They weren’t as close, he said, but that’s changed as they’ve grown up. At Spalding, they’re mirror Images stalking opposing offenses: Keyshawn hunting the inside, Keion prowling the outside. He envisions he’ll start as a middle linebacker at Maryland. “It’s gonna be so cool to do this together at the next level,” Flowers said. “We’ve been doing this our whole life, but it’s going to be a different, new experience.”