The offseason momentum continues for Maryland football, and the latest boost comes from the return of one of its most promising young defenders. Safety Messiah Delhomme is officially coming back for his sophomore season in 2026, and the expectation is clear: he’s in line to take over a starting role in the Terps’ secondary.
Delhomme’s return adds to a growing list of key players who’ve reaffirmed their commitment to the program, joining names like Sidney Stewart, Zahir Mathis, Malik Washington, Jalen Huskey, and Dontay Joyner. It’s a strong signal that Maryland is building continuity at a time when roster turnover is more common than not.
Delhomme’s journey to College Park has already been a story of perseverance and payoff. Coming out of high school, he was a major recruiting win for Maryland, especially with programs like Virginia Tech and Ohio State in the mix. Assistant coach Latrell Scott played a critical role in landing the Virginia native, helping the Terps make a strong push in the 757 and Richmond areas-territories that have long been fertile recruiting grounds but hadn’t consistently funneled talent to Maryland in recent years.
Injuries complicated Delhomme’s senior year of high school, sidelining him for much of the season. But once he was healthy, he wasted no time making his presence felt. By spring ball, he was back to full strength, and by fall, he was already carving out a role as a true freshman.
He didn’t just see the field-he made plays. Delhomme appeared in all 12 games during his freshman campaign, tallying 39 total tackles, a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery.
But it was his impact on special teams that really turned heads. In just his third game, he blocked a punt against Towson, becoming the first Maryland player to do so since 2017.
Two weeks later, he did it again-this time in the Big Ten opener against Wisconsin. That made him one of just 11 players in the nation with two blocked kicks in the 2025 season.
Add in his first career interception against Nebraska, and it’s easy to see why the coaching staff is so high on him.
Head coach Mike Locksley didn’t hold back in his praise during the season. “We saw enough of his junior tape and he was a guy that was recruited by every guy in the country,” Locksley said. “It was a great steal to be able to get him out of Virginia.”
Locksley also credited Coach Scott for helping Maryland reestablish a recruiting footprint in Virginia, a region that produced stars during the Bobby Ross era but had since cooled off. “Coach Scott has really given us an imprint there in that Tidewater, Richmond area that we haven’t had in years,” Locksley said.
“Lot of talented players down there and we’re excited. Messiah was one of those guys that we saw a lot on junior film.
Most people still recruited him coming off of the injury. We were able to hold him through a tough four-win season a year ago.”
Delhomme’s early success hasn’t just come from raw talent-it’s also about instincts. “He’s one of those freshmen who I thought could help us early,” Locksley added.
“He’s doing it on special teams but he’s also doing it on the backend where in practice, he was one of those guys always around the ball. The ball finds him.”
Heading into 2026, Delhomme looks poised to take the next step-not just as a contributor, but as a playmaker and leader on a defense that’s looking to turn a corner. If his freshman year was just the beginning, Maryland fans have every reason to be excited about what comes next.