The future of Maryland football just got a whole lot brighter - and steadier - with the return of quarterback Malik Washington for the 2026 season. For a program looking to bounce back under Mike Locksley, keeping Washington in College Park is as big as any recruiting win.
Maryland made it official Saturday night, announcing that their dynamic freshman signal-caller is sticking around for another year.
“Representing this team, this area, means so much to me and my family,” Washington said in the announcement. “This is home and we're going to continue keeping the best athletes from this area here with the Terps. I believe in everyone in our facility and I know we're building something that our fans will be excited about for years to come.”
That kind of leadership and commitment is exactly what Maryland needs as it looks to turn the page from a rocky 2025 campaign. And if Washington’s freshman season was any indication, the Terps are in good hands moving forward.
Let’s talk numbers - and not just any numbers, but the kind that make you sit up and take notice. Washington wrapped up his true freshman season with 2,963 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Add in 307 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, and you’ve got a dual-threat quarterback who’s already rewriting the record books in College Park.
He completed 273 of his 473 pass attempts, setting Maryland freshman records for completions and passing yards in a single season. And he wasn’t just padding stats in blowouts - Washington threw for over 200 yards in 11 of the Terps’ 12 games. That kind of consistency, especially from a first-year starter in the Big Ten, is rare.
To put it in perspective: since 1996, only two true freshmen in the Big Ten have finished a season with at least 2,500 passing yards and 300 rushing yards. Washington is now one of them.
The flashes of brilliance weren’t just statistical footnotes - they were statement performances. His 459-yard passing explosion against Michigan State in the season finale?
That’s the second-highest single-game total in Maryland history. And when he torched Rutgers for 164 rushing yards, he posted the second-most rushing yards by a Terps quarterback in a game.
That’s not just versatility - that’s game-breaking potential.
It’s no wonder Locksley was beaming in the team’s release.
“Malik is a Terp through and through and I'm thrilled he's coming back to lead this football team,” said the Maryland head coach. “He means so much to this area and this area means so much to him.
What we saw from Malik this past season is only the tip of the iceberg. He has such a bright future and he's already started putting the work in towards the 2026 season.”
Locksley’s not wrong. Washington’s rookie campaign had its share of growing pains - as expected for any freshman QB in one of college football’s toughest conferences - but his poise, arm talent, and mobility give Maryland a legitimate foundation to build around.
In a post-Taulia Tagovailoa era, the Terps needed a new face of the program. Washington didn’t just step into that role - he embraced it. And now, with a full offseason to develop, grow, and lead, he’s poised to take another leap.
Maryland fans have every reason to be excited. Because when your quarterback is setting records, showing loyalty, and already putting in the work for next season? That’s how you build something special.