The Big Ten Network’s stop in College Park on Wednesday night put Maryland football’s fall camp right in the spotlight, and the conversation quickly turned to the players who could shape what comes next.
With the Terps at the midpoint of camp and carrying plenty of pressure into a bounceback season in what has become a make-or-break year for head coach Mike Locksley, the focus has stayed on the returning production and how it translates once the games begin. But there’s also a clear eye on the future, especially when it comes to a few pieces Maryland expects to matter in 2026.
One of the biggest names in that group is former five-star local edge rusher Zion Elee, who Howard Griffith described as a “high-end athlete.”
“It's really about him continuing to get better and developing as a player because the raw talent is there. He's going to be able to help this team mostly versus the pass, and that'll happen. But the run stuff will start to come as well,” Griffith added.
He also pointed to the chance for Elee to learn from Sidney Stewart, whose freshman season gave Maryland something real to build around.
“And what a great place for him to look at what Sidney Stewart did last year. It's my understanding that even though Zahir is going through an injury, he's taking on a mentorship role.
What a great opportunity for a young guy in Elee to learn from those guys that had great freshman years last year. Sidney Stewart, though they call him The Bull, and rightfully so.
He is a force coming off the edge, and you need a great pass rusher to close out games. That's been a big topic of conversation here.
You need someone that's going to close out games off the edge. They got that [in] Sidney Stewart.”
The praise on defense didn’t stop there. Linebacker Trey Reddick was labeled “an athletic freak,” while true freshman cornerback Darrell Carey also got a strong nod after continuing to draw attention since arriving as an early enrollee in January.
“I think he’s going to really have an opportunity to help them in nickel situations and in base defense. He’s a long, rangy corner that I think will give them a lot of help,” Griffith said.
Offensively, the message was just as upbeat. Offensive coordinator Clint Trickett echoed the optimism Locksley shared with local media on Wednesday, especially when it came to the running back and tight end rooms heading toward 2026.
“There's multiple in the receiver room, the tight end room between Preston [Howard] and Dorian [Fleming]. We have two elite ones there.
AJ [Szymanski] can give us some depth there also as well. The running back room.
There's three studs in that room. DeJuan [Williams], number zero leading us off, but there's a lot of toys to play with,” Trickett said.
“And up front, having an offensive line that gave up the fewest pressures per pass attempt last year, that's very, as an offensive coordinator, you're very pleased.”
In Other News...
Maryland Suddenly Has A Pass Rush Question Fans Cant Ignore
Marylands defense took a hit before the season really settled in when Michael Locksley confirmed that edge rusher Zahir Mathis will be sidelined for the year after a non-contact injury. The loss stings because Mathis had already emerged as a key piece up front as a freshman, giving the Terrapins a disruptive presence off the edge and quickly becoming one of the more productive pass rushers on the roster.
Now the attention shifts to how Maryland replaces that pressure without asking too much from one player. Locksley said the staff believes the room has enough depth to absorb the blow, and the next wave includes DD Holmes, Nahsir Taylor and Zion Elee, all of whom could be asked to take on bigger roles sooner than expected. For a defense that wanted Mathis setting the tone on passing downs, the challenge is no longer about adding depth, but proving it. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands NFL Pipeline Just Put New Pressure On Two Terps
Marylands recent run of NFL attention got another boost with two more Terps landing on the Senior Bowl Top 300 list. Linebacker Daniel Wingate and offensive lineman Rahtrel Perry were both recognized among the draft-eligible college players whose production and traits suggest they can handle the next level, a nod that says as much about their individual seasons as it does about the programs growing reputation for sending talent to the league.
For Maryland, the inclusion of Wingate and Perry adds another layer to a pipeline that has quietly become one of the programs stronger selling points. It also puts a sharper spotlight on what each brings to the table, with Wingate emerging as a defensive anchor and Perry earning notice for the kind of steadiness and edge work NFL evaluators tend to value, all while their draft cases continue to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands New Receiver Battle Could Shape The Terps Entire Offense
Marylands wide receiver room looks a lot different heading into this season, and the overhaul matters because the Terps are replacing a major share of last years passing game. Only 37.8% of the teams receiving production returns, which leaves a wide-open path for new faces to define what the offense can become. Transfer additions Naeem Abdul-Rahim Gladding and Chris Durr Jr. arrive with productive track records from Old Dominion and Wyoming, while Kaleb Webb is expected to take on a larger role after a year of learning the system.
The real question is how quickly that group can settle into reliable roles once the games start mattering. Maryland is counting on the transfers to bring immediate production, but Webbs emergence could be just as important for giving the Terps a more stable passing attack. With so much turnover at the position, the early pecking order may end up shaping not just the receiver rotation, but the tone of the offense as a whole. [Read more 🡒]