Maryland is heading into fall camp with something it hasn’t had in three seasons: a settled quarterback situation. Malik Washington is back after a true freshman year that ended with 12 starts and a stack of accolades, and the next question is how he fits into the Big Ten quarterback picture.
On3 placed the 6-foot-5 Maryland passer eighth in its conference rankings for 2026. He landed just behind Michigan’s Bryce Underwood and just ahead of UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava.
The top of the list was loaded with familiar names. Oregon’s Dante Moore was viewed as a top prospect if he had entered the 2026 NFL Draft, but he is returning for his final season.
He was joined in the top three by Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and USC’s Jayden Maiava. Indiana’s Josh Hoover and Penn State’s Rocco Becht also checked in ahead of Washington, along with Washington’s Demond Williams, who briefly became a transfer portal headline this spring before going back to the Huskies.
That means Maryland will see plenty of high-end quarterback play this season. The Terps are scheduled to face five of the quarterbacks ranked inside the top 10, starting with Iamaleava in the Big Ten opener on Sept. 26.
Still, the biggest storyline around Washington may be the help around him. USC, Penn State and Michigan will draw attention too, but Maryland’s offense will be judged by what its skill players can do after an inefficient rushing attack and too many wide receiver drops derailed the unit last season.
The Terps tried to address that by adding Chris Durr Jr., Na'eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding and Preston Howard through the transfer portal, while also bringing back pieces such as Dorian Fleming and Kaleb Webb. Whether that mix turns into better production this fall is the open question.
Washington’s spring, though, gave Maryland reason to believe he can take another step. He built a strong connection with new offensive coordinator Clint Trickett, and the tempo and wrinkles brought over from the former Jacksonville State OC could turn Washington into an even bigger part of the offense.
“One thing I really focused on was the mental side of the game, just understanding defenses and coverage better and how our route concepts kind of match up with those that way my pre-snap picture is a lot better,” Washington said during spring ball.
In Other News...
Indiana Landed A Defensive Back With A Football Pedigree
A rising senior defensive back at Quince Orchard High School, Rico Jackson has become one of Marylands more interesting young prospects, with a recruiting profile that stretched well beyond the local scene before he settled on Indiana. Programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Syracuse all spent time on him, a sign of how much his combination of pedigree and upside has stood out as he heads into his final high school season.
Jackson also carries a football background that is hard to miss. He has trained with NFL receivers Stefon Diggs and Jordan Addison at the University of Maryland, and he is the son of former NFL safety Tanard Jackson, whose career included stops with the Buccaneers and Redskins and a knack for making life difficult for some of the leagues biggest quarterbacks. For Maryland fans, it is another reminder that the state keeps producing talent with national appeal, even when the final destination ends up elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Former Terp Deonte Banks Just Hit A Career Crossroads
Deonte Banks has already logged a heavy workload in the NFL, starting every game of his first two seasons and flashing enough playmaking ability to keep the conversation around him alive. For Maryland fans, the former Terps path has been easy to track: the raw talent was never in doubt, but the next step has always been about turning traits into steadier week-to-week production.
Now Banks is getting that chance under John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, two voices who put a premium on technique and discipline. That kind of coaching can be a reset point for a young corner, especially one trying to sharpen the fundamentals and tighten up the consistency that will determine how much trust he earns moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Former Terps Face A Big Summer League Test This Month
The NBA Summer League has become a proving ground for a handful of former Maryland players trying to turn College Park success into something more permanent. After the 2026 draft and the opening of free agency, Jahmir Young, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Solomon Washington and Reese all found themselves in different spots, but with the same basic task: show enough in July to make teams think twice about moving on.
Young is trying to build on the strong G League stretch that helped him earn a standard contract, while Gillespie gets a chance to show the scoring and defensive traits that made him such an intriguing young guard. Washington and Reese are also in the mix with Washington and the Wizards, giving Maryland fans a few familiar names to track as Summer League games begin to sort out who is ready for a bigger role and who still has work left to do. [Read more 🡒]