Maryland’s season opener brings a different kind of spotlight to College Park this week. Yes, there are fresh faces to watch, including portal wide receiver Chris Durr Jr. and former five-star Zion Elee. But the biggest name on the board is still the one who already spent last season taking snaps: Malik Washington.
For Maryland, that matters. Washington is set to become the program’s first returning starter at quarterback since 2023, and the questions around him are bigger than a simple year-two storyline.
The Terps want to know what the next step looks like after a true freshman season that showed off the traits that made him such a prized prospect out of Spalding. Now he’s moving into a new offense under OC Clint Trickett, one built around spread concepts and a multi-tempo pace, with expectations that Washington will also become a threat with his legs.
The national media seems to think the ceiling is real.
Josh Pate put Washington eighth among Big Ten quarterbacks. Todd McShay went even higher, slotting him seventh and describing him as "every bit the part - big, tall, sturdy, strong, massive arm." McShay had already given Washington positive feedback after the Manning Passing Academy, and that praise has carried into this offseason.
CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford ranked Washington fourth in the conference and said he gives Maryland "legitimate hope."
"Young quarterbacks with his upside can change a program's trajectory quickly," Crawford said of Washington. "He has the athleticism and confidence to create explosive plays even when everything around him is not perfect. That matters for a Terrapins team needing more consistency across the board."
Athlon Sports took a broader view, placing Washington 27th nationally and tying that ranking to the expectations he brought into his first season. The publication pointed to the flashes he showed as a freshman, when he started all 12 games, threw for 2,963 yards and 17 touchdowns against nine interceptions, and added 303 rushing yards and four scores.
"The Maryland native certainly flashed the potential that made him a four-star prospect coming out of high school. Washington started all 12 games last year, throwing for 2,963 yards and 17 touchdowns to nine picks.
He also added 303 yards and four scores on the ground. Washington is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential.
If Maryland can develop a more consistent rushing attack and find a few playmakers at receiver, he should easily climb this list as a sophomore in ‘26."
Washington also heads into his sophomore season already sitting inside the top 20 in several program categories. And after finishing last season with a career-best outing - 459 yards and three touchdowns while completing just over 62% of his 61 attempts in the 2025 season finale - he’ll be chasing his second 300-yard passing game when the new season begins.
In Other News...
Maryland Roots Helped Shape The Seahawks New Offensive Coordinator
Brian Fleurys path to becoming the Seahawks new offensive coordinator traces back to Maryland, where he starred at Seneca Valley as a high school quarterback and helped lead the program to a state championship in 1997. Long before he was moving through the coaching ranks, Fleury was shaped by a football upbringing that included a stepfather, Terry Changuris, whose own high school coaching success earned recognition from the DC Touchdown Club.
Fleury launched his coaching career in 2003 and has since worked his way through a long list of college and NFL stops before landing in Seattle. For Maryland fans, the connection is a familiar one: another reminder that the states football footprint reaches well beyond its borders, and that one of the leagues newer play-callers came up in a setting where the game was learned early and taken seriously. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Fans Have A New Wrestling Star Worth Watching Closely
High School On SIs first Girls Pound-for-Pound Wrestling Rankings brought a fresh spotlight to the high school girls wrestling scene, and Maryland has a major name right at the top. Taina Fernandez was ranked No. 1 in the inaugural list, a nod to the kind of rsum that stands out no matter the weight class, with her three U17 world championships and a U20 bronze medal leading the way.
The rankings are meant to evolve as the season goes on, using national and international results, head-to-head meetings when available and overall accomplishments. For Maryland fans, Fernandez is now the standard-bearer in a space that is getting more attention by the week, and her position at the top gives the Terrapins another reason to keep an eye on a star whose profile already stretches well beyond state lines. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands 2026 Hopes May Come Down To One Familiar Problem
Marylands outlook for 2026 is starting to take shape around the same old question: can the defense hold up enough to give the offense a real chance? With Malik Washington in the mix, there is at least enough firepower to imagine a functional season, and the Terrapins do have a path toward being competitive in the Big Ten. But the roster still has some familiar soft spots, especially after losses in the secondary and pass rush, which makes the margin for error feel thin before the schedule even gets rolling.
The first few weeks could tell the story, with an early home date against UCLA and a road trip to Nebraska looming as the kind of tests that tend to expose where a team really stands. Maryland looks good enough on paper to stay in the bowl picture, but also vulnerable enough that a few key breaks could decide whether this becomes a steady step forward or another season defined by missed opportunities. [Read more 🡒]