2025 Maryland Football Preview

A new season of college football is upon us, and the Maryland Terrapins are set to open their 2025 campaign on Saturday afternoon in College Park against Florida Atlantic. This’ll be the program’s seventh year under the leadership of head coach Michael Locksley, and they’ll be looking to bounce back following a disappointing 4-8 (1-8) finish in 2024. There was a significant amount of turnover to both the roster and the coaching staff during the offseason, and the team will be hoping that a reboot of sorts helps them return to the success they enjoyed from 2021-23.

Offense

After being stripped of his playcalling duties during the 2024 season, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis was fired and replaced by longtime NFL assistant coach and DMV mainstay Pep Hamilton. Despite being out of coaching for the last few years, Locksley’s emphasis on increasing the “pro-style” nature of Maryland’s program clearly led him to Hamilton, who has 14 years of experience as an NFL assistant. While the scheme likely won’t change too much from what’s been run consistently since 2019, his experience as a quarterbacks coach will be crucial to the development of this crop of young signal-callers.

For the second straight season, there’ll be a new quarterback behind center when the Terrapins take the field for their first game. Justyn Martin, Khristian Martin, and Malik Washington have all been competing for the top job throughout spring and summer practices, with Locksley refusing to publicly name a starter until the first offensive drive against the Owls. While it’s extremely rare for true freshmen quarterbacks to start immediately, Washington has a real chance to do just that. The coaching staff has raved about his poise and maturity, and he performed well in the team’s Red-White Spring Game in April. With three straight home games against Florida Atlantic, Northern Illinois, and Towson to open the year, expect Locksley to rotate between his options at the position before making a final decision moving forward.

Following Roman Hemby’s transfer to Indiana, Maryland’s running back room will also look a good bit different this season. Nolan Ray is poised to take up the lead role in running backs coach Louis Swaba’s first year, with DeJuan Williams also set to receive significant snaps. The pure speed of this group is reminiscent of the 2018 season, when Ty Johnson and Anthony McFarland served as serious home-run hitters in the backfield.

Tai Felton and Kaden Prather will both be playing on Sundays this year, but as is typically the case for a Locksley-coached team there’s no shortage of talented wide receivers on Maryland’s roster this season. After spending the previous two years as the team’s running backs coach, Latrell Scott will now be coaching the wide receivers. Transfers Jalil Farooq (Oklahoma) and Kaleb Webb (Tennessee) will both play major roles immediately, with Octavian Smith, Jr. looking to build off of his 2024 season which saw him average 10.5 yards per reception and score two touchdowns. The tight end position underwent a massive overhaul following the transfers of Preston Howard and Dylan Wade to Auburn and UCF, respectively. However, Georgia State transfer Dorian Fleming looks to pose a massive threat in the passing game and could be one of the better tight ends in the conference this season for Hal Hunter, who’ll split time between coaching the team’s offensive tackles and tight ends in his first year on Locksley’s coaching staff.

Maryland’s offensive line returns two starters from last season in Aliou Bah and Alan Herron, but suffered significant losses in the transfer portal with Andre Roye, Jr. (Colorado) and Kyle Long (East Carolina) departing the program. Central Connecticut transfer Rahtrel Perry is likely to take over as the starting left tackle, while 2024 Buffalo transfer Isaiah Wright returns from the season-ending injury he suffered during summer camp last year. As is typically the case for Maryland, their offense will likely go as far as this group of linemen takes them. There are serious question marks about this group’s consistency, which led to the in-season dismissal of Brian Braswell from the coaching staff last season. Damian Wroblewski remains with the program as the sole offensive line coach, though Hunter will also spend time coaching the offensive tackles.

Defense

In one of the more puzzling moves of the offseason, defensive coordinator Brian Williams left the program for the same job at Jacksonville State. Despite a disappointing 2024 season, he’d vastly improved the defense since taking over as full-time playcaller in 2022 and also had a hand in some of the team’s best recruiting. In his place, Locksley hired longtime collegiate and professional assistant coach Ted Monachino. Entering his 30th year as a coach (35th counting high school experience), including six as a defensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens from 2010-15, he adds even more professional flavor to Maryland’s coaching staff. Schematically, things shouldn’t change too much as they’ll continue to recruit for an odd-front defense with specific formations dependent on personnel.

Maryland’s defense will look significantly different this season, as they return just one starter from last year. Tommy Akingbesote, Quashon Fuller, Lavon Johnson, and Taizse Johnson have all departed, leaving massive holes along the defensive line. Cam Rice (Ohio), DD Holmes (Florida State), and Eyan Thomas (Saint Francis) were added through the transfer portal, and 4-star freshman Bryce Jenkins will also likely see significant playing time. First-year defensive line coach Corey Liuget will certainly have his work cut out for him with this crop of new players.

The linebacker position was also hit hard during the offseason, with Ruben Hyppolite II and Donnell Brown graduating, and Caleb Wheatland (Auburn) and Kellan Wyatt (Indiana) hitting the transfer portal. On the outside, the team has a number of talented but young pass-rushers. Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis are poised for big freshman seasons, while Trey Reddick and Neeo Avery represent more experienced options. Inside, the team opted to allow Wheatland to depart and invest in the young pair of Michael Harris and Daniel Wingate. First-year inside linebackers coach Zac Spavital will be hoping that gamble pays off this year.

The Terrapins’ secondary was a mess in 2024, and saw eight players leave through the transfer portal during the offseason. This was mostly by design for Locksley, as he sought to revamp what was one of the worst units in the conference. At the cornerback position, he added Jamare Glasker (Wake Forest) and Gavin Edwards (Austin Peay) through the transfer portal, and the team also returns Braydon Lee for cornerbacks coach Aazar Abdul-Rahim. Jalen Huskey returns to lead the safeties, experiencing great success there after moving from cornerback during last season. Dontay Joyner (Arkansas State) was added through the transfer portal, and 4-star freshman Messiah Delhomme will also play a big role for first-year safeties coach James Thomas, Jr.

Special Teams

Following a disappointing 2024 season, Locksley demoted Thomas, Jr. from his special teams coordinator position and hired longtime college assistant coach Andre Powell to lead the unit moving forward. He has more than 35 years of coaching experience, many of those as a special teams coach.

Maryland will have a new kicker this season after snagging Sean O’Haire (Richmond) in the transfer portal. He’s a native of Ireland, and mightily impressed the coaching staff despite playing in just four games (and one FCS playoff game) last year. He was a perfect 12-for-12 on field goals, including a season-long 50-yarder. Bryce McFerson returns as the team’s starting punter, following an impressive 2024 campaign which saw him finish fifth in the conference in punting average and down 21 punts inside the 20-yard line.