Malik Washington’s latest spot in CBS Sports’ Week 5 quarterback power rankings tells the story of a rough night and a larger body of work that still looks promising. After the worst outing of his Maryland career, the sophomore slid to No. 31, a sharp drop for a passer who had been climbing into the national conversation.
The UCLA game was the first real hiccup of Washington’s 2026 season, and the numbers were hard to miss. He finished 18 of 38 for 142 yards with no touchdowns and a season-high four interceptions.
Maryland never found the kind of rhythm it needed, and UCLA’s pressure kept Washington from settling in. He was forced into hurried throws, off-platform releases, and decisions that hadn’t shown up earlier this year.
His 47.4 percent completion rate marked a major step back from the 68-83 percent range he had posted over the first three weeks.
Even with that stumble, Washington’s season line still points to a quarterback moving in the right direction. Through four games, he has completed 101 of 154 passes for 1,034 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions while hitting 65.6 percent of his throws. His games against UConn and Virginia Tech showed the version of Washington Maryland believes in: decisive, efficient, and capable of attacking defenses both vertically and horizontally.
The UConn performance stood out as his biggest burst so far. Washington threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns while completing 82.9 percent of his passes. In Maryland’s 38-14 win, he also completed a program-record 18 straight passes, a stretch that showed how dangerous he can be when everything is flowing.
His early season has already included the kind of response that matters for a young quarterback. Washington bounced back from a modest opener against Hampton and then delivered his stronger Week 2 and Week 3 outings.
That makes the UCLA game a setback, but not necessarily a defining one. He’s now working through his first run against Big Ten defenses, and his production still places him among the more productive young quarterbacks in the conference.
Washington’s profile this season stretches beyond the stat sheet, too. He was named to the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Watch List, was included on the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Award Watch List, and was selected as an Allstate Good Works Team nominee. Those honors reflect the leadership, service, and character he has brought to Maryland’s program.
The next stretch will be about how he answers. The talent has been obvious, the production has been real, and the growth has been steady. UCLA exposed some cracks, but it didn’t erase what Washington has built through the first month of 2026.
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