Maryland Defensive End Pair Returning In 2026 Season
In this story:
First, it was Malik Washington, over a week and a half ago, announcing his return to Maryland football for the 2026 season, and now the Terps received more good news yesterday afternoon.
The freshman duo of defensive ends Zahir Mathis and Sidney Stewart announced their return to Maryland for the 2026 season. Both players were freshmen who were key pieces of the Terrapins' defensive line this past season and will continue to be key pieces next season. Mathis made his announcement on Christmas Day, and Stewart soon followed in a funny post earlier today.
— Inside the Black & Gold (@Insideblackgold) December 26, 2025
Mathis (9) finished the 2025 season playing 11 total games with 35 total tackles (22 solo & 13 assisted), 8.5 tackles for loss (48 yards), six sacks, one pass deflection, one block, and three QB hits.
DL Zahir Mathis announces his return to Maryland for the 2026 season
— Inside the Black & Gold (@Insideblackgold) December 25, 2025
Mathis, who was also a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award semifinalist, finished his freshman season second on the team with six sacks & 8.5 TFLs in 2025 pic.twitter.com/TjVdOdRoUU
Mathis was second in total sacks and tackles for loss on the team, behind his fellow opposite defensive end, Sidney Stewart. Mathis was 11th in the Big Ten for total sacks, despite two missed contests.
In addition to Mathis's strong first year, he was a 2025 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Semifinalist and 2025 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten.
Switching over to Stewart (29), the local product appeared in 12 total games, recording 32 total tackles (20 solo & 12 assisted), 10. 5 tackles for loss (49 yards), seven sacks, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, one safety, and seven QB hits.
Stewart's play earned him recognition around the nation, including being listed on the 2025 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Watch List, the On3 True Freshman All-American, and the 2025 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten.
The Maryland athletic website highlighted some key statistics set by Stewart in the season....
- Led the team and ranked tied for sixth in the Big Ten with 7.0 sacks
- Ranked first among all Power 4 freshmen in sacks and ranked second overall among all FBS freshmen in total sacks.
- Set the Maryland school record for tackles for loss in a season by a freshman (10.5), surpassing the previous record set in 1979.
- Led the team and ranked tied for 12th in the Big Ten in TFLs
- Became the first Maryland true freshman with four sacks in his first four games since at least 2007.
Head coach Mike Locksley has to be thrilled to retain two of his top young defensive pieces on the line and pair them up with incoming five-star prospect, Zion Elee, which should form one of the best groups in the country that can wreak havoc every game.
Stay up to date with the Terrapins by bookmarking Maryland On SI.
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.