As Maryland gets set for fall camp, Mike Locksley is staring at the same problem that has lingered over the program for years: what, exactly, is the Terps’ run game supposed to be?
That question goes well beyond picking a starter at running back. It touches the whole offense - scheme, personnel, rotation, and even how Maryland wants to build its roster moving forward. The Terps have cycled through zone concepts, gap schemes and spread-to-run looks in recent seasons, but they still haven’t settled into a rushing identity that holds up week after week.
The urgency is obvious. Last season, Maryland averaged 104.3 rushing yards per game, which ranked second-worst in the Big Ten.
The Terps also finished with just 4.1 yards per carry and nine rushing touchdowns. That kind of production leaves an offense exposed, especially when the passing game is carrying too much of the load.
DeJaun Williams is a big part of the answer. Maryland’s returning lead back is in position to get a real shot at showing he can handle a bigger role, and his skill set gives the Terps something they can build around.
He brings physicality between the tackles, but he also gives Maryland real value as a receiver. His 45 catches for 426 yards in 2025 set a new Maryland single-season record, and that kind of production makes him more than just a runner.
The offensive line is tied directly to the decision too. Maryland has poured resources into rebuilding the trenches through the portal and development, but that process doesn’t pay off overnight.
A downhill, power-based approach calls for a different body type and a more straightforward, aggressive plan. A zone-heavy run game asks for mobility, timing and cohesion.
Locksley’s choice will tell you a lot about how he sees the line and how he wants to use it.
There’s a quarterback piece to this as well. A productive ground game would make life easier on Malik Washignton by opening up play-action and trimming down the number of difficult reads he has to make. If Maryland leans more heavily into the passing game, that burden shifts back onto the quarterback and the receivers.
What makes this such a pivotal issue is that Maryland has talked for a while about improving on the ground, but when games get tight, the offense has often drifted back toward the pass. Locksley now has to decide whether this season will be different - whether the Terps will keep leaning on the run even if it takes time to get rolling.
In the Big Ten, the best rushing teams usually aren’t the ones that look flashy early. They’re the ones that stay patient and keep hammering away until defenses wear down.
The calendar only sharpens the stakes. Maryland opens with winnable games, but the middle of the schedule brings the kind of physical matchups that can expose soft spots up front.
Maryland’s 2026 schedule gives the Terps a realistic route to bowl eligibility and even an outside shot at seven wins if the key pieces come together. If the run-game issue isn’t settled before camp, Maryland could enter the season without the clarity it needs.
Locksley’s decision is really about the shape of the offense as a whole. Maryland has talent.
It has receivers. It has a quarterback pipeline and enough creativity on offense to cause problems.
What it still needs is balance - a run game the Terps can trust when the temperature drops, the fronts get bigger and the margin for error gets thin.
That’s the crossroads Maryland is facing now. Get the ground game right, and the Terps could finally look like the complete offense Locksley has been building toward. Miss on it, and they risk spending another season asking the passing game to do too much in a conference that still starts with the run.
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