Three-Star Safety Ontario Washington Jr. Commits To Maryland
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The Maryland Terrapins football team added another defensive back to its roster for the upcoming 2026 season. Mike Locksley has secured a commitment from three-star safety Ontario Washington Jr., who will enroll next week.
NEWS: North Stafford (VA) ‘26 defensive back Ontario Washington Jr. has committed to Maryland 🐢 pic.twitter.com/7xzIjuGoBj
— Inside Maryland Sports (@Terrapins247) June 6, 2026
Washington Jr. hails from Stafford, Virginia, and attended North Stafford High School, where he played a part in all three phases of the field in his senior year, stuffing the stat sheet. While also partaking in track and field as well.
After the conclusion of his senior season in the 2025-26 season, Washington Jr. finished with....
Offense:
- 20 receptions
- 386 yards
- Five receiving touchdowns
- 30 carries
- 242 rushing yards
- 8.1 yards per carry
- One rushing touchdown
Special Teams
- Eight Kickoff Returns
- 296 return yards
- One touchdown
Defense
- 89 total tackles
- Five tackles for loss
- 16 pass breakups
- One forced fumble
- Four interceptions
Washington Jr. brings a do-it-all style to the Terps that you don't see from many players in today's game. It allows Locksley and his staff to use Washington Jr. in a dynamic way that makes his impact felt in all three phases of the game, wherever he's on the field.
Washington Jr. could establish a Travis Hunter-type role where he plays a certain number of snaps on offense and defense, especially since he could be taking part in either kick or punt returning duties.
What jumped out for me on Washington Jr.'s tape in all three of his roles is the speed and explosiveness to kick it into the next gear. Washington Jr.'s speed allows him to quickly separate from defenders as a runner with the ball in his hand or create space from defenders, and also stay step-for-step with receivers when covering them.
Offensively, I could envision offensive coordinator Clint Trickett using Washington Jr.'s speed for screens and end-arounds out of the slot, and short-out plays that allow Washington Jr. to get on in space and gain extra yards after the catch.
On the defensive end, Washington Jr. shines well in coverage. Despite being 5'10 and 165 pounds, he plays well off his eyes and instincts to disrupt passes in coverage, while also playing physical enough to not allow receivers to utilize size as an advantage getting underneath them.
Washington Jr. will pair up with the likes of returning seniors Dontay Joyner, Lavain Scruggs, and Jamare Glasker, who'll lead the group, alongside youngsters Jayden Shipps & Darrell Carrey, and others to round out a talented room.
Last season, the Terrapins' defense was one of the best units in the country at forcing turnovers, with 22 forced turnovers (19 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles) for a turnover margin of +7 (19th best in the country). The Terps' interceptions ranked sixth-best in the country, with two returned for a touchdown. The unit also had the 33rd overall best red zone defense in the country, which helped them keep opposing teams out of the endzone.
Adding Washington Jr. into the mix pushes the defense's heights to no limits in year two for defensive coordinator Ted Monachino. I feel this is a sneaky pickup for the Terps.
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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.