DePaul Basketball: 4-star 2019 PG Markese Jacobs commits to the Blue Demons

What is next for DePaul?

The Blue Demon program should turn its focus to improving their 2019 class, but they also need to make sure they retain the services of the star point guard. Coach Leitao has seen this story unfold before, as another member of the 2019 class Terrance Shannon, committed to DePaul after his official visit, only to back off of that commitment hours later. Jacobs seems like his solid on his commitment but sometimes recruiting your own players is the hardest. Jacobs is going to still receive offers even though he is committed.

Improving the 2019 class is also going to be a priority for the Blue Demons. DePaul currently has the No. 3 class in the Big East and the 15th ranked class in the country. A school with the recent history that DePaul has had a top-20 class is a reason for excitement and optimism. DePaul currently sits with one open spot in their 2019 class. Even if DePaul does not fill that spot their class has the potential to be program changing.

Terrance Shannon, who is also a Chicago native, is still on DePaul’s radar even after the small forward backed off his commitment. Shannon holds offers from Illinois and Florida State as well as DePaul. If the wing were to commit to the Blue Demons he would mark the third top-100 player to join the 2019 class.

Unfortunately for DePaul the wing was committed at one point before decommitting a few days later. The players usually back off their commitment for a reason, and almost always those players choose to go to a different school. 247 Sports has Illinois as the favorite.

In the 2019 class, Coach Leitao and his staff have been able to address two guards and a wing. The Blue Demons have their eye on a three-star big man. Keshad Johnson is a big man from California who also holds offers from Montana, Nevada, Georgetown and Cincinnati. With his offer list it is going to be tough for DePaul to land a commitment from the big man, but with their already secured 2019 commitments anything is possible. Johnson only stands at 6’7” but is more comfortable playing in the paint and underneath the basket than on the wing.

Unless DePaul can land the commitment of Shannon again, which seems unlikely at this point. The Blue Demons will enter the season with at least one scholarship open. This gives them the flexibility to land a mid-season grad transfer or offer the open scholarship to a former walk-on who has earned it. DePaul may be turning a corner on the national scene, especially with the list of commitments they have received.

The Blue Demons still have a long way to go until they reach the NCAA tournament. With Jacobs on the team, he could lay the groundwork for what could eventually be an NCAA tournament team by the time he graduates.