Maryland opens its 2026 season Saturday night at home against Hampton, and the first two weeks should tell a lot about how quickly this team can settle in under new offensive coordinator Clint Trickett. The Terrapins then head to East Hartford, CT for a meeting with UConn before coming back to College Park for their biggest non-conference game, against Virginia Tech on September 19th.
After back-to-back 4-8 seasons, including a 1-8 mark in Big Ten Conference play each year, Maryland is trying to get off to a cleaner start. That has not been a problem early in Michael Locksley’s tenure.
The Terrapins have gone 21-5 before October since he arrived in College Park, and they should enter both of these first two games as heavy favorites. Maryland opened as a 45.5-point favorite against Hampton.
That kind of cushion gives Locksley a chance to spread snaps around and let Trickett’s offense find its footing. Last season under Pep Hamilton, Maryland leaned on a much more pro-style approach, with quarterback Malik Washington spending plenty of time under center and the pace staying relatively slow.
That was a clear shift away from what Locksley prefers. Trickett’s background fits that preference better, with Air Raid passing ideas blended into a quick rushing attack during his time at Marshall and Jacksonville State.
The expectation is for Maryland to move faster and for Washington to be used as a runner more often.
There is also continuity on defense, where Ted Monachino enters his second year working with a group that includes Sidney Stewart, Daniel Wingate, Trey Reddick, Jamare Glasker, and Messiah Delhomme. Monachino’s style is aggressive by design. He likes man coverage on the outside, throws in exotic blitzes, and mixes up zone looks with one- and two-high safety shells and late rotations meant to rattle quarterbacks.
Special teams has a new voice as well. Matt Barnes takes over there, and he inherits a pair of proven weapons.
Sean O’Haire is back for his second season as the starting kicker after going 21-for-24 on field goals and earning First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2025. Bryce McFerson returns for year three after earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors and posting the sixth-best punting average in program history last season.
The opener against Hampton should give Maryland a chance to lean on the run game early. Under Locksley, the Terrapins have played five FCS opponents and won those games by an average of 43.6 points.
They beat Towson 44-17 last season in their third game, but they also have not rushed for more than 175 yards in their last three games against FCS competition. Locksley and Trickett have emphasized running the ball more efficiently this season, so that will be worth watching right away.
Defensively, Maryland should have the edge up front, even as Monachino pieces together a replacement for starting pass-rusher Zahir Mathis, who suffered a season-ending injury in practice last month. Five-star prospect Zion Elee is expected to play a major role immediately, and early pressure on the quarterback would be a welcome sign for him.
Monachino also got a boost earlier this week when Locksley said starting cornerback Dontay Joyner will return to the team for the 2026 season after previously being dismissed following his arrest in June on harassment-related charges. Because he spent so much time away from the team during the summer, he will likely be brought along carefully before reclaiming a starting spot.
UConn should present a different kind of unknown. Maryland’s first FBS opponent of the season comes in East Hartford, where the Terrapins have not played since 2013.
The Huskies have a new head coach in Jason Candle, who arrives from Toledo after Jim Mora left for Colorado State following a 9-4 season. Candle spent 18 years on Toledo’s staff, including the last ten as head coach, and his roster has been heavily reshaped with nearly 60 transfer additions.
That overhaul includes two quarterbacks still battling for the job before UConn’s season opener against Lafayette: Jake Merklinger from Tennessee and Kalieb Osborne from Toledo. With so much turnover, it is tough to know exactly what Maryland will face. The Terrapins should still be favored, but the bigger point is simple enough: they need to handle Hampton, carry that momentum into Week 2, and not let the Huskies turn it into a longer fight than it should be.
In Other News...
Maryland Powerhouse Starts Week 1 Under A Cloud Again
Week 1 for Maryland high school football already has a messy feel to it, with two programs being forced to absorb season-opening forfeits before the first meaningful snap. North Point and Westlake were ruled in violation over participation in non-school team settings that went beyond the allowed threshold, leaving both schools to deal with the consequences as the new season gets underway.
Even with the forfeits on the books, both teams still have to line up and play their scheduled games, so the official record will tell one story while the action on the field may tell another. A third school facing the same kind of penalty managed to win its appeal and avoid a forfeit, a reminder that these early-week rulings can still shift before the dust fully settles. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands Secondary Gets A Late Twist Before The Opener
Marylands secondary is getting an unexpected late boost just as the opener approaches, with cornerback Dontay Joyner expected to rejoin the program after previously being dismissed following legal issues. Joyners path back has been winding, marked by charges tied to an incident that kept him in jail for nearly a month before a deal led to reduced charges and an anger management course.
The timing of when hell actually be available to play remains unclear, but his return adds another layer to a defense that could use the depth. For a secondary that will be under the microscope early, having Joyner back in the mix is the kind of development that can quietly change the outlook, even if the final details on his role are still to come. [Read more 🡒]
Former Maryland Star Sees One Reason Terps Fans Should Buy In
Vernon Davis still has a strong pulse on Maryland football, and the former Terrapins standout came away from a recent interview sounding encouraged about where the program is headed. He pointed to Mike Locksley as a steadying force and said the direction of the team has reason to inspire belief, especially with the kind of talent Maryland has tried to build around its young quarterback.
Malik Washington drew Davis praise for his ability and upside, but the bigger message was that the Terps cannot lean on one player alone. Marylands next step will depend on the whole operation coming together, from the leadership on the sideline to the support around Washington, which is where the real test now begins. [Read more 🡒]