Three Maryland Offensive Players to Know Against Virginia Tech

The Terrapins have allowed one sack this season, and the Hokies arrive in College Park with more of them than anyone in the country.

Sep 12, 2026; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Malik Washington (7) throws a pass against the UConn Huskies in the first quarter at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Maryland has scored 100 points in two games and hasn't lost a turnover. The Terrapins beat Hampton 62-0 and won at UConn 38-14. Virginia Tech has been just as businesslike, handling VMI 77-3 and then Old Dominion 44-21 at Lane Stadium.

Both teams did what good teams do to overmatched opponents. Neither has played a Power Four team yet. That's what makes Saturday's 7:30 p.m. kickoff at SECU Stadium the first real read on either side.

Here are the three Terps who decide how much of Maryland's production travels.

Malik Washington, Quarterback

Washington completed 18 consecutive passes at UConn, a Maryland record, and finished 34-of-41 for 347 yards and two scores. He's 53-of-72 for 533 yards on the season with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Washington is throwing at 73.6% and Maryland has allowed one sack all year, after giving up nine on him across the entire 2025 season. He's a sophomore with 14 career starts, which is its own strange fact. He took over as a true freshman and never gave the job back.

His 3,806 career yards of total offense rank fourth among Big Ten quarterbacks through their first 14 starts since 2008. Brent Pry's pass rush, which ranks first in the country in sacks (12) and tackles for loss (32) will need to find a way to put Washington on the ground and in obvious passing situations.

Na'eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, Wide Receiver

Hokie fans have seen Gladding play before. He caught a touchdown at Lane Stadium last September for Old Dominion in a 45-26 Monarchs win, then transferred to College Park in January.

He leads Maryland with 187 receiving yards on 14 catches and two touchdowns, including a career-best 130 yards on eight receptions at UConn. He's also the punt returner, which pushes him to a team-high 221 all-purpose yards.

At Old Dominion last fall he started all 13 games, led the Monarchs with 51 receptions for 667 yards and six touchdowns and earned All-Sun Belt honorable mention. 

Iverson Howard, Running Back

As a true freshman, Howard ran for just 125 yards all season. In two games, he has almost surpassed last year's total, rushing for 121 yards across two games.

He also has three rushing touchdowns after scoring none in 2025, and he matters a lot more this week than he did two weeks ago. DeJuan Williams, who ripped off a 94-yard touchdown on his way to 116 yards on three carries against Hampton, got hurt in the second quarter of that game, didn't travel to UConn, and isn't expected back Saturday.

Against Hampton, the Terps ran for 365 yards, averaging 9.1 a carry, scoring six touchdowns on the ground. In last week's game against UConn, Maryland's rushing attack was limited to just 3.5 yards per carry.

So it falls to Howard and Harry Dalton III, a redshirt freshman USC transfer with three touchdowns of his own on 24 carries. Howard got banged up at UConn too, though Locksley said afterward he'd be good to go. If Virginia Tech makes Maryland one-dimensional on early downs, Washington is the one who pays for it.