Malik Washington Lands As The Ninth-Best QB In The Big Ten
In this story:
CBS writer and college football Expert, Tom Fornelli released his Big Ten QB rankings for the 2026 college football season yesterday, and let's dive into where he had Maryland Terrapins sophomore quarterback, Malik Washington on the list.
Washington landed at No. 9 on Fornelli's list behind names such as....
1.) Dante Moore- Oregon
2.) Julian Sayin - Ohio State
3.) Jayden Maiava- USC
4.) Josh Hoover- Indiana
5.) Demond Williams- Washington
6.) Rocco Becht- Penn State
7.) Bryce Underwood- Michigan
8.) Katin Houser- Illinois
Fornelli had this to say about Washington when his name came up....
"There weren't a lot of reasons to be optimistic about Maryland last season, but Washington was most of them. Keeping him in College Park was the most important thing Mike Locksley had to do this offseason, and his return provides some hope heading into 2026. He's not quite as talented as Underwood, but he has the kind of potential that could see him emerge as one of the best QBs in the league next season. Assuming his receivers don't drop a billion passes again."
What Fornelli said is truthful. Head coach Mike Locksley knew he had to keep Washington at College Park in 2026 after a rough 2025 season that featured many lows but offered some hope in the play from Washington under center.
Another factor that hurt Washington's further development last season was the lack of playmaking from his weapons. As stated by Fornelli, the Terps' playmakers struggled with drops at one point, entering week 12 against Illinois carrying the second-worst drop rate among Power-Four teams (7.2%).
There were times when Washington was able to extend plays with his feet and get outside the pocket to find players down the field who just could not come down with the ball.
Entering the 2026 season, three of the Terps' top receivers from the previous season have all left for the NFL, and now this group looks completely different.
Receivers Na'eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding and Ejani Shakir were added through the transfer portal as potential top-2 targets for Washington, alongside returning tight end Dorian Fleming, who I expect to have a much larger role this season, furthering his connection with Washington.
Redshirt senior Kaleb Webb is a name to keep on people's radar as a potential breakout target for Washington. Webb caught 22 balls for 318 yards and two scores last season. Webb has the skills and size to come down with any ball thrown his way, adjusting in the air and using body control to make plays, all while having top speed to stretch the field.
Moving over to Washington, he'll take a huge step forward in 2026 under new offensive coordinator Clint Trickett, who is a young up-and-coming mind within the college football rankings. Washington will benefit from Trickett's ability to build a top-notch running game in his offense, which will help elevate Washington's consistency through the air.
Washington can already make all types of throws on the field and use his feet in the running game; it's all about consistency from him and his supporting cast playing at their best.
I predict Washington to throw over 3,000 passing yards, 20+ passing touchdowns, a 60% completion rating, 400+ rushing yards, and at least three rushing scores next season. Can the Terps improve in the win-to-loss column? is the question.
More from Maryland On SI
Stay up to date with the Terrapins by bookmarking Maryland On SI and follow us on Twitter.
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.