Maryland’s coaching search is already starting to take shape, and one name sits at the center of it.
After reports surfaced Wednesday afternoon that the Terrapins had fired Mike Locksley following eight seasons in College Park, CBS Sports insider John Talty connected former Florida coach Billy Napier to the opening. The move came on the heels of Maryland’s 37-30 Week 7 loss to Rutgers, a result that dropped the Terps to 2-5 this season.
For second-year athletic director James Smith, the search for a new head coach is now underway, and Talty’s reporting puts Napier at the front of the early conversation. That’s a notable development considering where Napier has been since his Florida tenure ended.
Napier landed in Gainesville in 2022 after a successful four-year run with the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, but things never clicked with the Gators. He was fired last October after a rough 3-4 start, and his Florida stint ended with a 22-23 record.
Since then, he has quickly gotten back on track at James Madison. The Dukes hired Napier shortly after he left Florida to replace Bob Chesney, and he has them rolling with a perfect 7-0 record as of this writing. James Madison also appears on pace for a second straight College Football Playoff appearance.
Maryland is still early in the process, so no final call is close yet. But if Napier keeps winning with the Dukes, his return to the Power 4 level could come a lot sooner than expected.
In Other News...
Virginia Wasted A Defensive Effort And The QB Debate Is Here
Virginia had enough on the defensive side to keep a tight ACC game in reach, but a 19-16 loss to Duke left the Cavaliers with the familiar feeling of one unit doing its job while the other could not quite keep up. The defense held Duke running back Nate Sheppard below 60 rushing yards and got stronger individual efforts from linebacker Robinson, who added a sack and an interception, while the ground game received a lift from Jekail Middlebrook in a performance that helped Virginia stay competitive.
The bigger issue now is what comes next at quarterback, because the offense never found a clean answer when it needed one most. Pribulas night was defined by turnovers and the lack of touchdown production, and the late-game sequence only sharpened the discussion around Virginias direction under center as the Cavaliers try to turn defensive stops into actual wins. [Read more 🡒]
Virginias Offense Has Become A Real Problem At The Worst Time
A late-season stumble has put Virginia in a difficult spot after its 19-16 loss to Duke, a defeat that marked the Cavaliers third in four games and took some shine off what had been a promising stretch. At 4-4, they still need two wins in their final four games just to secure bowl eligibility, and the margin for error has shrunk fast with the ACC title race and a more prestigious postseason path slipping farther away.
The odd part is that the defense and some individual playmakers showed enough to keep Virginia afloat. Isaiah Robinson turned in his best game of the season, while John Rogers and Dakota Twitty both posted career nights through the air, but the offense around quarterback Pribula has not been nearly as steady. His passing production has dipped, opposing defenses are getting more heat on him, and at this point the Cavaliers need answers quickly if they want the second half of the schedule to mean anything. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia's Talent Is Real But One Early Concern Could Decide Everything
Virginia has finished preseason work and now turns its attention to the 2026-27 opener against Drexel, carrying the kind of optimism that comes with a roster loaded enough to draw preseason buzz. Thijs De Ridder sits at the center of it all as the preseason ACC Player of the Year, while Virginias other core pieces have helped fuel strong offensive showings in exhibition play. The talent level looks real, and there is enough depth on hand that rotation tweaks still feel like part of the plan rather than a warning sign.
Still, the frontcourt remains the question that could shape everything once the games count. Virginia has options, but the staff is likely to keep sorting through how to line up its biggest pieces without leaving another spot exposed, and that balance may matter more than any flashy preseason run. If the Cavaliers are going to turn their ceiling into something sustainable, finding the right answer inside may be the thing that decides how far this group can go. [Read more 🡒]