Five Reasons To Believe Maryland Football Can Exceed Expectations This Season
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The dog days of summer continue on for all teams in College Football across the nation. The Maryland Terrapins are gearing up for Fall Camp, which will begin sometime in late July or early August for the upcoming 2026 season. What will this season bring for Mike Locksley and his group?
Most media outlets and personnel have the Terps finishing around the bottom of the Big Ten Conference in 2026. Let's dive into five reasons the Terps can prove people wrong....
1. Malik Washington
Washington is coming off a 2025-26 season where there were ups and downs, and the downs weren't necessarily on him. Washington finished with an impressive stat line in his freshman season:
Starting in all 12 games, throwing for 2963 passing yards, 17 touchdowns to nine interceptions, averaging 246.9 passing yards, and a 58% completion rate. Washington had 56 carries for 303 rushing yards and four scores, including a 73-yard long run at Rutgers on Nov. 8th.
Washington displayed his athletic ability to sit in the pocket and make throws, and to escape the pocket to extend plays with his feet or through the air. Last season, Washington and the offense struggled from the lack of a run game, the lack of a true No. 1 wideout, and second-half struggles.
2. Improved Run Game
Offensive coordinator Clint Trickett enters the fold as the Terrapins' offensive coordinator this season. Trickett brings diverse experience with elite rushing attacks, having manned a top-five attack that averaged nearly 247 yards per game and was led by running back Cam Cook, with the team finishing with 32 total rushing touchdowns.
Maryland last season, on the other hand, had a non-existent rushing attack that they couldn't lean on. Maryland's offense, on the other hand, couldn't score points well, averaging 23.5 (95th in the country), 104.3 rushing yards per contest ( 122nd in the country), and a below-average 3rd down conversion percentage and red zone offense.
The additions of Harry Dalton III (USC), Liam Wilson (who made the switch from baseball to football), and Terrez Worthy (Temple) can provide opportunities for dynamic looks alongside returning lead back DeJuan Williams.
3. Lighter Conference Schedule
Out of the Terps' 12 total games in 2026, the only two teams that finished ranked were Ohio State and USC. The Buckeyes were the lone team to appear in the College Playoffs on the schedule as well. Rounding out their Big Ten opponents are Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Illinois, Rutgers, Nebraska, and Illinois. Penn State is in a new era post-James Franklin, Nebraska will have a new starting QB, and Illinois struggles to beat the tougher teams in the conference. Those were the three I could see Maryland not being favored in, with the remaining teams being contests where the Terps can be favored.
4. Defensive Line Dominance
Listen to the three key players on the defensive line that Maryland will roll out in week one of the season: Zion Elee, Sidney Stewart, and Zahir Mathis. That is a talented group that will be going after the quarterback week after week. Elee is a five-star recruit who'll look to join the combo of Mathis and Stewart, who combined for 13 total sacks last season, and become an elite trio in a conference that's known for producing NFL-ready edge rushers.
In Maryland's 3-4 scheme, these edge rushers' explosiveness and speed can really shine, elevating the level of the defense. They also added size and experience in the middle through brothers Armon Parker and Jayvon Parker from Washington at defensive tackle.
5. Sense Of Urgency
It's not that the goal shouldn't be to win for any program in the nation, but for Locksley, the time is now. Locksley was publicly supported by athletic director Jim Smith after the end of the 2025 season, despite another season in which the finish was 4-8 in College Park. Smith trusts Locksley's ability to guide the program to winning ways, having already led them to three bowl victories in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Locksley has starters on both offense and defense returning, providing the familiarity and core needed to guide this group in the right direction. Washington under the helm, tight end Dorian Fleming, offensive linemen veterans Isaiah Wright & Ryan Howerton, linebackers Trey Reddick & Daniel Wingate, and in the secondary Jamare Glasker, Lavain Scruggs, Dontay Joyner, and Messiah Delhomme.
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.