On SI Maryland Staff Terps Football Weekly Predictions: Week One vs. Hampton
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Its here now: we're less than 24 hours away from the Maryland Terrapins football team 2026 season opener agaisnt Hampton.
Entering Saturday's contest, the Terps have won 18 straight contests against non-conference foes, a streak they hope to extend to 19 and win their 15th straight season opener against a non-conference team.
How can the Terps keep one of college football's longest current active streaks going tomorrow, let's find out:
How Will the Game Shake Out?
Head coach Mike Locksley and his staff will want to get the crowd engaged from kickoff. I think the Terps receive the ball first, and offensive coordinator Clint Trickett comes out of the gate displaying a dynamic and more versatile rushing attack. Mixing up zone runs, RPOs, and jet sweeps, which opens up a play-action shot down the field from Malik Washington to senior wideout Kaleb Webb.
Locksley had talked throughout the offseason about how he wanted this offense to find that dynamic style and the rushing attack they had been known for early on in his first couple of years at College Park.
Be on the lookout for the Terps' running backs led by DeJuan Williams, Harry Dalton III, and Iveson Howard to stuff the stat sheet and be difference makers throughout the contest.
I think the Terps' run defense will need time to settle in and will struggle early on in the contest. Amari Pryear and Donovan Sheppard will look to lead a rushing attack that gained 273 rushing yards in Hampton's opening game last Saturday. With Pryear attacking the edges and Sheppard getting the short yards and power runs.
The key emphasis will be communication across all three levels on defense for the Terps, playing smarter and faster, and wrapping up and making tackles.
But Maryland's passing attack will be the key. Even though it's faced a lot of questions in the offseason, it will overpower an experienced Hampton secondary that isn't used to the style of Big Ten offenses, which could lead to the Terps eclipsing 30 points in the contest. Washington will toss three-plus touchdowns and throw for over 265 passing yards.
In all fairness, on paper, this should be a game where Maryland cruises to a victory: I want to see the youngsters on defense, such as five-star edge Zion Elee, second-year safety Messiah Delhoume, freshman Darrell Carey, sophomores Jayden Shipps, Sidney Stewart, and more, make plays, leading by example.
The overall depth, skill players, size, and length could prove to be too much for Hampton, but a good experience for them against a Power 4 group that helps them develop in a new system.
For Maryland, it's all about not underestimating the opposition, playing clean football, putting the best tape out there, and executing under their schemes that build good habits into the next week.
Final Score: Maryland 41 | Hampton 14
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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.