Maryland is heading into fall camp with a roster that looks built to make noise, and with the 2026 season only four weeks away, the early starting lineup picture is starting to come into focus.
The clearest answer on the board is at quarterback. Malik Washington is going to be out there for every meaningful snap this season, and that should surprise nobody.
As a freshman, he rewrote the program record book with 473 completions and 2,963 passing yards, and Maryland is leaning right back into its pass-heavy identity in a Big Ten that never makes anything easy. The rest of the quarterback room changed in the offseason, but if Washington goes down, the year basically goes with him.
In the backfield, Maryland never found a proven RB1 through the portal, which leaves DeJuan Williams as the favorite to hold onto the job. Williams showed plenty as a true freshman, running for 501 yards and adding 426 more through the air. The Terps are going to need more from the ground game if they want real success, but with an unproven USC transfer and a summer addition behind him, Williams looks like the guy to open the season.
At receiver, the top of the depth chart is being rebuilt after three offseason departures, but the pieces are fairly clear. Na'eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding and Chris Durr Jr. both arrive after leading their previous teams in receiving, and both spent most of their time in the slot.
Gladding, though, seems better built for the outside role too, thanks to his work against Indiana and James Madison, his success on contested catches, and the fact that he didn’t drop a pass last season. That sets up former Tennessee wideout Kaleb Webb as Maryland’s X-receiver.
At 6'5", he’s the obvious deep-ball target, and his late-season surge in 2025 suggests he and Washington could get connected early.
Tight end is a little more straightforward. Even with Preston Howard back in College Park after a brief stop at Auburn, Dorian Fleming owns the TE1 job.
Fleming was a real part of the passing game last season, finishing with 40 catches and three touchdowns. Howard’s five drops and the drop-off from his sophomore year make this an easy call.
Still, new offensive coordinator Clint Trickett could lean more heavily on two-tight-end looks, and if that happens, Howard may end up with more work than he saw during his SEC run.
The offensive line brings back some stability, even if there’s a new wrinkle. Maryland returns left tackle Rahtrel Perry, left guard Isaiah Wright, and center Michael Hershey, and that trio gave Washington strong protection last year by allowing only three sacks and taking just five penalties.
Wright appears to be moving to right tackle, opening the door for former four-star Ryan Howerton to step into the left guard spot after redshirting in 2024 and playing 190 snaps as a reserve last season. On the right side, Aliou Bah is gone to LSU, and Tellek Lockette looks like the replacement after logging nearly 2,000 snaps at guard in the Sun Belt.
Up front on defense, Maryland’s edge group is as deep as it’s been in a while. Five-star Zion Elee joins a room that already includes a pair of Freshman All-Americans, and while he should rotate in throughout the season, Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis are the obvious starters after combining for 13 sacks. Inside, Eyan Thomas and second-stint Terrapin Lavon Johnson look set to handle the interior spots, with UCF transfer Derrick LeBlanc mixing in as needed.
Linebacker looks like a unit built on continuity. Daniel Wingate, last season’s team MVP, and Trey Riddick give Maryland a strong top two, while Carlton Smith seems locked into the third spot after his freshman breakout. VMI grad Stephen Dean III gives the Terps useful depth, though nobody should expect him to pile up numbers the way he did in his senior season there.
The secondary, meanwhile, took a hit before camp even got rolling. Coach Locksley confirmed Wednesday that Dontay Joyner is no longer with the program after sending threatening messages to his then-girlfriend.
That leaves Maryland without one of its more established playmakers back there. Jamare Glasker and Boston College transfer Amari Jackson are now the projected starting corners, with Glasker’s familiarity in the system likely giving him the edge in covering WR1s early on.
Jackson, if fully healthy, could push him. NFL draftee Jalen Huskey also has to be replaced, with senior Lavian Scruggs stepping into strong safety and sophomore Messiah Delhomme handling the deep middle.
Special teams is set. Sean O'Haire is back after hitting 21 of 24 field goals last season, and Bryce McFerson returns after averaging 44.2 yards per punt and pinning opponents inside their 20-yard line 19 times.
Maryland opens the season Saturday, September 5, under the lights against Hampton.
In Other News...
Sidney Stewart Is Taking On A Much Bigger Maryland Role
Sidney Stewart is heading into his second college football season with a noticeably different look and a much bigger responsibility. The sophomore edge rusher changed his jersey number, trimmed his hair and, more importantly, has spent this offseason focused on personal growth as he settles into a larger Maryland role. He is also trying to set the tone for younger teammates, including Zion Elee, while balancing the shift from promising newcomer to one of the players opponents will start circling on the scouting report.
For Maryland, that makes Stewart more than just another returning pass rusher. He is now in the spot where production has to be matched by leadership, and he seems to understand that the better he plays, the more attention he will draw from opposing game plans. The challenge from here is not only to keep improving his own game, but to help bring along the players around him as the Terps build out the next layer of their defense. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Track Fans Have A New DeLeon-Wilson Debate After Latest Showdown
Jayden DeLeon and Quincy Wilson are keeping Maryland track fans busy with a rivalry that already feels bigger than a summer championship meet. At the World U20 Championships in Eugene, Ore., DeLeon won the mens 400 meters in championship-record time, while Wilson was right behind him in second, underscoring just how narrow the gap is between two recent high school graduates who have turned the event into a local talking point.
For Maryland supporters, the appeal is not just that both sprinters are from the state, but that each new showdown seems to sharpen the debate about who has the edge in the 400. DeLeons latest win added another layer to the conversation, and Wilsons runner-up finish ensured the competition remains very much alive as their rivalry continues to build. [Read more 🡒]