Three Maryland Defensive Players to Know Against Virginia Tech

Maryland has allowed 7 points per game. These three are a big reason why.

Sep 13, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive lineman Eyan Thomas (98) celebrates after sacking Towson Tigers quarterback Andrew Indorf (13) in the first half at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Opposing running backs have carried the ball 62 times against Maryland this season. They've gained 77 yards. That's 1.2 a carry, and not one of those runs has reached the end zone.

Hampton and UConn aren't Virginia Tech, and nobody in College Park is pretending otherwise. But the Terrapins rank fourth nationally in total defense and are tied for first in red zone defense heading into Saturday's 7:30 p.m. kickoff at SECU Stadium. Defensive coordinator Ted Monachino's group has 10 sacks, the most in the Big Ten.

Here are three names to know before Saturday's contest.

DD Holmes, Linebacker

Holmes leads Maryland with 2.5 sacks and trails only Michigan State's Eli Coenen in the Big Ten. He also fell on the fumble Zion Elee forced at UConn. Two weeks in, he's been in the middle of most of what this front has done.

He's 6-foot-7, 257 pounds and grew up in Washington, D.C., a four-star recruit at Gonzaga College High School and the No. 2 prospect in the District. He signed with Florida State, played one game, redshirted and came home in January 2025. He started once all of last season. Then Zahir Mathis went down with a season-ending training camp injury; the edge rotation reshuffled, and Holmes walked through the opening.

Eyan Thomas, Defensive Lineman

Thomas is 6-foot-3 and 337 pounds, and he's one of the main reasons why it has been difficult to run on Maryland. His two sacks against Hampton have him tied for third in the Big Ten, which is unusual production from a nose tackle.

Two years ago, he was redshirting at Saint Francis, an FCS program in western Pennsylvania. He put up 42 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks across 15 games there before transferring. Last season he rotated between tackle and nose for Maryland and drew just three penalties.

Virginia Tech ran for 42 times for 89 yards against Old Dominion. If they want any sort of success on the ground against Maryland, it will have to go through Thomas.

Messiah Delhomme, Defensive Back

Delhomme has two of Maryland's three interceptions this year.

Both came against Hampton, where he cut off a pair of deep throws to the sideline. It wasn't a one-week thing. As a true freshman, he played all 12 games, finished seventh on the team with 39 tackles, ranked third with four pass breakups, and blocked two kicks, one of only 11 players nationally to manage that. Maryland gave him its Freshman Special Teams Player of the Year award.

He's also a Virginia kid, out of Warwick High in Newport News, and his recruitment came down to Maryland, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Ohio State, Florida State and Alabama.