Way Too Early Wisconsin Football Opponent Preview: Maryland

Wisconsin has had its fair share of embarrassing losses in recent seasons, and while getting blown out by Iowa and other big-name programs take the headlines, the loss to Maryland last September was one of the worst of the Luke Fickell era.

When Billy Edwards made the start for the Badgers, there was hope that the season wasn’t lost, but he re-aggravated his injury, and a Danny O’Neil interception sent things in a downward spiral. The 27-10 final score doesn’t do the game justice, Wisconsin got dominated.

In 2026, the teams will meet again, this time in College Park, and following a home game against Rutgers, it should be an opportunity for Fickell’s group to string together consecutive conference wins and continue building what is hopefully some late-season momentum.

How 2025 ended

After the Terrapins dominated at Camp Randall, there were discussions that maybe they were sneaky good. That was absolutely not the case. Ironically, their dominant showing in Madison was their final victorious effort of the year, as they went on to lose the next eight games and finish 4-8.

The three toughest opponents were Washington, Indiana and Michigan, all of which Maryland played at home. Those were still not going to be wins, but games against UCLA, Rutgers and Michigan State were winnable, and the Terrapins failed to capitalize.

Malik Washington stood out against Wisconsin, especially with his 62-yard dagger touchdown in the fourth quarter, and he had an up and down season, but closed the year on as good of a note as possible in a loss.

In the final loss of the season to Michigan State, Washington delivered 459 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 38 of his 61 passes. It was obviously a higher volume of passes than you’d like to see, but the potential is there and flashed throughout the season. His development in year two will be a huge determinant of the Terrapins’ season.

Key losses

Two players, one on each side of the ball, stood to me when Maryland handed Wisconsin an embarrassing loss in 2025, both of which have earned NFL opportunities.

Jalen Huskey, the Terps lone selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, immediately picked off O’Neil when he entered the game for Edwards, and it gave Maryland all the momentum. He also had nine tackles in the contest, showcasing the skillset that was huge for the backline of the Terrapins’ defense.

On the season, he had 72 tackles, 58 of them solo, four total interceptions and three additional passes defended. He had a huge impact in his two seasons in College Park, and for a Maryland team badly needing some sort of breakthrough in 2026, his presence will be missed as a security blanket defensively.

Wisconsin’s secondaries had immense struggles in 2025, and Maryland’s receivers were part of that. It is also a position group the Terrapins will need major replacements in to succeed in 2026.

Sheleak Knots, the team’s leading receiver in 2025 with 717 yards, exhausted eligibility, signing with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent. He had just three catches in the game in Madison last season, but two of them went for touchdowns, including the 62-yard dagger in the fourth quarter.

Octavian Smith Jr. was fourth in receptions for the Terps, and third in yards, but torched the Badgers’ secondary last September. He tallied 113 yards on six catches, including a big 48-yard gain.

Wisconsin will prepare for a much different receiving group in 2026, but needs to put forth a better effort defensively to avoid a bad loss.

Jalen Huskey at Jaguars rookie minicamp. — Jacksonville Jaguars safety Jalen Huskey (22) looks on during rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Today was the second of a three day camp concluding Sunday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Key additions

A key newcomer to watch is one of the replacements in the receiving room, and a guy who has familiarity with at least one player suiting up for the Badgers. Na'eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding is a former teammate of Colton Joseph at Old Dominion, and should have an instant impact.

He and Joseph connected for 51 completions and 667 yards in 2025, finding the endzone six times, He’s a big-play threat for the Terps, and could form a dangerous connection with Malik Washington if things go smoothly as he transitions to power-conference competition. Perhaps Joseph can provide a scouting report to avoid the big plays Maryland made in the last matchup.

Last season, Wisconsin improved greatly on the defensive front, thanks to size and a handful of bodies who could create pressure in the backfield. Maryland made a few additions on the defensive front that I think could create a similar impact.

Transferring north from UCF, Derrick LeBlanc measured at 6-foot-5, 295 pounds. In a limited sample size, he had 1.5 sacks, recovered a fumble and batted a pass down. Maryland is banking on a big step forward, but his size is worth noting.

Also on the defensive line, Lavon Johnson is returning to Maryland after a season at Texas. With just 24 tackles and one sack in three seasons of college football, he too has a lot to prove, but familiarity with the system and a 300-plus pound body can typically prove useful in the right situation.

2026 outlook

In my eyes, the outlook is pretty bleak for Maryland as it looks to get back to a bowl game. In the nonconference, it will host James Franklin and Virginia Tech, which likely has the advantage on paper, and travel to UConn. With Jim Mora leaving the Huskies, maybe that’s a victory, but there was real momentum for that program in 2025.

When the Big Ten slate rolls around, I don’t see a ton of games I’d pick the Terrapins to win. A home game versus Rutgers seems like the most-likely win, with a trip to Purdue providing another opportunity. Outside of those two games, however, based on 2025, home games against Wisconsin and UCLA are the most winnable in theory, but I think those will be two of the league’s most-improved teams.

I guess the goal should be to get to a bowl game after consecutive 4-8 seasons, but even that feels like a bit of a lofty expectation with the looming schedule.

Prediction

Wisconsin 24, Maryland 20

Especially with how this game went last season, this is a game fans will be hoping for a dominant victory. For some reason, I feel like it could be oddly close, despite my belief that Wisconsin will be the better team by a decent margin.

If things go south again for Maryland this season, it could become a cold, mid-November game in an road atmosphere that is eerily quiet, reminiscent to old matchups with Northwestern at Ryan Field where some players describe it as a tough atmosphere because there is no atmosphere.

For whatever reason, I think the Badgers get a scare here but ultimately get a victory, which you never apologize for in the Big Ten in November. A close win would be a bit of a let-down, but if a let-down for the program in 2026 means winning narrowly instead of losing by multiple scores, that would be signs of major growth, so I’d gladly take it

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