An Early Summer Look At 2026 Maryland Football

The 2025 University of Maryland Football season started with 4 wins, and ended with 8 consecutive losses.

The first three of those eight straight losses being by a combined 10 points against Washington, Nebraska, and UCLA.

Once the wheels came off, MD wasn’t able to get back on-track, and the losing snowballed.

Now here in June, we’re a couple of months out from the 2026 season.

The seat is hot for Head Coach Mike Locksley as he enters Year 8 at the helm.

If expectations were rising after three straight bowl years in ’21-’23, current expectations for MD are minimal after back-to-back 4-8 seasons.

There is some legitimate talent on the roster.

If Coach Locksley is going to continue to lead the program; it’s imperative that the roster talent translates into results this year.

Let’s take a look at the roster that exists, and review some of the questions we have for this program as the season nears.

 

OFFENSE
QB: 1. Malik Washington, 2. Cardell Williams, 3. Cal Wither, 4. Nathan Bernhard
RB: 1. DeJuan Williams, 2. Iverson Howard, 3. Henry Dalton II, 4. Terrez Worthy, 5. Liam Wilson
WR-X: 1. Kaleb Webb, 2. Jordan Scott
WR-Z: 1. Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, 2. Ryan Manning
WR-H: 1. Chris Durr Jr., 2. Zymear Smith
TE: 1. Dorian Fleming, 2. Preston Howard
LT: 1. Rahtrel Perry, 2. Michael McMonigle
LG: 1. Jaylen Gilchrist, 2. Ryan Howerton
C: 1. Michael Hershey, 2. Trevor Szymanski
RG: 1. Tellek Lockette, 2. Amory Hills
RT: 1. Isaiah Wright, 2. Carlos Moore

DEFENSE
SAM: 1. Sidney Stewart OR Zion Elee
DT: 1. Eyan Thomas, 2. Lavon Johnson, 3. Armon Parker
NT: 1. Bryce Jenkins, 2. Joel Starlings, 3. Jayvon Parker
JACK: 1. Zahir Mathis, 2. Nahsir Taylor
MIKE: 1. Trey Reddick, 2. Stephen Dean III
WILL: 1. Daniel Wingate, 2. Carlton Smith
FCB: 1. Jamare Glasker, 2. Lloyd Irvin III
BCB: 1. Dontay Joyner, 2. Sean Johnson
NICKEL: 1. Amari Jackson, 2. Jayden Shipps
FS: 1. Gavin Edwards, 2. Darrell Carey
SS: 1. Lavain Scruggs, 2. Messiah Delhomme

SPECIAL TEAMS
K: 1. Sean O’Haire
P: 1. Bryce McFerson, 2. Philip Noyes
LS: 1. Luke O’Hare
KR: 1. Iverson Howard, 2. Ricardo Cooper Jr.

QB:
Malik Washington: Sophomore, Completed 273 passes, 2,963 yards, 17 td’s.
Cardell Williams: Senior, Sacramento State transfer, threw for 1,651 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025 while also rushing for 382 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Cal Wither: Laurier (Canada) transfer. 1st team All-Canada last season. He threw for 2,472 yards for the Golden Hawks in 2025, with 26 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions.
Nathan Bernhard: Freshman, 3 star, Class of ’26.

RB: 
DeJuan Williams: RS Sophomore, In ’25, 9 starts, led MD with 927 all-purpose yards. 4 star. Saint Frances.  Chose MD over Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State.
Iverson Howard: Sophomore, 3 star, ESPN 300, 4 star per ESPN,  led MD in kickoffs in ’25.
Henry Dalton III: RS Freshman, 3 star, USC transfer.
Terrez Worthy: Senior, 3 star, Temple transfer. Known for big speed, had a JUCO season before joining Temple.
Liam Wilson: Junior, Started 23 games for Maryland’s Baseball team in 2025.

WR:
X: 1. Kaleb Webb, 2. Jordan Scott
Z: 1. Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, 2. Ryan Manning
H: 1. Chris Durr Jr., 2. Zymear Smith

Webb: RS Senior, Tennessee transfer before ’25, 4 star.  Played all 12 games in ’25.
Scott: Senior, FSU transfer before ’25, 3 star  Was #2 JUCO per 247. 6’7, 220.

Abdul-Rahim Gladding: Junior, ODU transfer, 3 star.
Manning: RS Jr, 3 star, Saint Frances, Top 100 WR in the Nation.

Durr: Junior, Wyoming transfer, 3 star.
Z. Smith: RS Freshman, 4 star, ESPN 300, chose MD over Bama, Penn State, and South Carolina.

Ejani Shakir: Junior, Independence CC transfer, 43 catches, 724 yards, 6 TD’s last year.
Jayden Kitchens: Freshman, 3 star, 24th overall player in MD.
Sean Williams: RS Junior, was a Top 5 player in DC in HS.
Josiah Teasley: Freshman, 3 star, 23rd overall player in VA.

TE: 
Dorian Fleming: RS Jr, 25 HM Big Ten. Georgia State transfer before ’25, 2024 All Sun Belt Conference,
Preston Howard: RS Senior, Auburn transfer (former Terp), 3 star.
AJ Szymanski: Senior, was in all 12 games last year, with 3 starts.
JT Taggart: Sophomore, was in 11 of 12 games last year. Out of HS was a 3 star, ranked 31st amongst all TE’s. Son of Willie Taggart.
Damon Hall Jr: Freshman, 3 star, ranked 31st amongst all TE’s. Recruited by Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Michigan.

O-Line:
LT: 1. Rahtrel Perry, 2. Michael McMonigle
LG: 1. Jaylen Gilchrist, 2. Ryan Howerton
C: 1. Michael Hershey, 2. Trevor Szymanski
RG: 1. Tellek Lockette, 2. Amory Hills
RT: 1. Isaiah Wright, 2. Carlos Moore

Perry: RS Senior, Central Connecticut State transfer before ’25, 2024 All NEC 1st Team, started all 12 games for MD in ’25.
Gilchrist: RS Freshman, 4 star, ESPN 300, 80th overall, injured in the ’25 Opener.
Hershey: Junior, Started all 12 games in ’25. Academic All Big Ten.3 star, Chose MD over Charlotte, Yale, Delaware.
Lockette: RS Senior, Phil Steele had him 1st team All Sun Belt entering last year. Finished the 25 season as the top graded OL in the Group of 5, according to PFF.
Wright: Graduate, Started all 12 games for MD in ’25.

Moore: RS Senior, 3 star, Elon transfer before ’25, started 10 games in ’24 with Elon.
Howerton: RS Soph, 3 star per 247, 4 star per Rivals, UA All-American Game invite.
Watkins: RS Soph, 3 star, 24th overall player in MD.
Hills: Soph, 3 star, 26th overall player in MD.
Bennett: RS Soph, 3 star, action in 2 games last year. Academic All-Big Ten.
McMonigle: RS Freshman, 3 star.
Beymer: RS Freshman, 3 star.
Szymankski: RS Soph, 3 star, Chose MD over Pitt, VaTech, Syracuse.
Robsock: RS Soph, 3 star, 33rd overall player in PA.
Folivi: RS Senior.

D-Line:
SAM: Sidney Stewart OR Zion Elee
DT:  Eyan Thomas, Lavon Johnson, Armon Parker
NT: Bryce Jenkins, Joel Starlings, Jayvon Parker

Stewart: Sophomore, was Freshman All-American in ’25, out of HS 3 star, Top 40 player in MD, Chose MD over WVU, Boston College, Indiana
Elee: Freshman, 5 star

Thomas: RS Jr, Saint Francis (PA) transfer before ’25, 2nd Team All NEC.
Johnson: Senior, Texas transfer, former Terp, 3 star.
A. Parker: R-Senior, Washington transfer, played in 8 games last year. 6’3, 320.

Jenkins: Sophomore, 4 star, ESPN 300, 2nd ranked player in DC.
Starlings: RS Jr, 3 star, saw action in 11 games in 2025.
J. Parker: R-Senior, 24 games across 4 years with Washington. 2024 Academic All-American. 6’3, 330.

Derrick LeBlanc: RS Jr, UCF transfer, out of HS was a 4 star, Nation’s 51st overall recruit.
DD Holmes: RS Sophomore, saw action in 9 games, including 1 start in ’25.  Out of HS was ESPN 300, 4 star, and rated 2nd best player in DC.
EJ Moore: Junior, saw action in 11 of 12 games. Before MD was a Phil Steele 2024 FCS Freshman All-American.
Joshua Simmons: RS Sophomore, 2025 Academic All-Big Ten.
Delmar White: RS Freshman, 3 star, Top 40 player in Maryland.
JaMarcus Whyce: Freshman, 4 star, 17th ranked player in Ohio.
Cam Brickle: Freshman, 3 star, IMG Academy.
Jianni Davis: Freshman, 3 star, 31st overall player in Maryland, son of Vernon Davis.

LB:
JACK: Zahir Mathis, Nahsir Taylor
MIKE: Trey Reddick, Stephen Dean III
WILL: Daniel Wingate, Carlton Smith

Mathis: Sophomore, Freshman All-American in ’25, out of HS 4 star, ESPN 300, # 1 player in Pennsylvania, 2025 UA All-American, Choose MD over OSU, FSU
Taylor: Sophomore, saw action in 11 games, and had 2 sacks. Was 3 stars out of HS, 32nd rated player in Maryland.

Reddick: Junior, 3 star, 5th on team in tackles and TFL’s in ’25. 14th ranked player in VA, Chose MD over Wake, UNC, Penn State. .
Dean III: R Senior, 3 star, VMI transfer. Had 117 tackles (including 9.5 for loss) last season.

Wingate: Senior, 2025 HM Big Ten. Top 25 player in MD, Top 100 LB in the Nation, Choose MD over BC, WVU, Penn State.
C.Smith: Sophomore, 3 star, 3rd on team for tackles in ’25.

Darius Grimes, RS Jr, saw action in all 12 games in 2025.
Travares Daniels, RS Freshman, 3 star, Top 100 player in Florida.
Kaden Carter, Freshman, 4 star, rated as 7th best ILB in the ’26 Class.
Kellen McConnell, RS Sophomore, Academic All-Big Ten.
Keyari James, RS Sophomore, Academic All-Big Ten. 3 star.

Secondary:
FCB:  Jamare Glasker, Lloyd Irvin III
BCB: Dontay Joyner, Sean Johnson
NICKEL: Amari Jackson, Jayden Shipps
FS: Gavin Edwards, Darrell Carey
SS: Lavain Scruggs, Messiah Delhomme

Glasker: RS Senior, Wake Forest transfer before ’25, started 9 games in ’24.  3 picks in ’25.
Irvin III:  RS Sophomore, 3 star, 26th overall player in MD, Chose MD over BC, VaTech, West Virginia

Joyner: Senior, HM Big Ten in ’25. Arkansas State transfer before ’25, played in 24 games, 3rd highest grade at CB in Sun Belt in ’24 via PFF.
Johnson: Freshman, 3 star

Jackson: RS Senior, Boston College transfer, 3 star
Shipps: Sophomore, 3 star

Edwards: RS Jr, 3 star transfer before ’25
Carey: Freshman, 3 star

Scruggs: 3 star, 21st overall player in MD, played in 12 games last year, started 4 in ’24. 4th on team in tackles in ’25
Delhomme: Sophomore, 4 star, ESPN 300, 2nd ranked player in Virginia. 2 blocked kicks, 6th on team in tackles in ’25.

Mekhai White: RS Sophomore, was in 11 games. Was a 4 star recruit out of HS, made switch from WR to CB in ’25.
Ricardo Cooper: RS Jr, was in all 12 games, had a pick, named MD’s Special Teams Player of the Year.
Judah Jenkins: RS Sophomore, Academic All-Big Ten. Appeared in all 12 games in ’24, and zero games in ’25.
Alex Moore: RS Jr, was in 11 games in ’25.

Special Teams
K: Sean O’Haire: RS Sophomore, 21 of 24 on FGs.
P: 1. Bryce McFerson: RS Senior, 2025 2nd team Big Ten

What Do We Like?

Washington is back for a second year, and he gained extensive experience as a Freshman.
ESPN looked at the QB situations for all 138 FBS schools, and has Washington in their Tier 8. 

Talent and experience under center is a good starting point.

I liked the addition of Lockette in the portal.
The starting O-Line looks capable, with some upside capability if Gilchrist is productive.
There would be a noticeable drop off if any starters were lost to injury, but there does appear to be growing usable OL depth.

I like Fleming at TE, and was happy to see Howard return.

The RB depth seems like it was solidified in the portal.
I like Williams, and Worthy seems like he has the speed to really factor.
MD hasn’t done enough in the running game the last few years, I’m hoping we see a tick up here.

I like the starting Secondary, and Delhomme.

The kicking and punting game is in excellent shape.

As excited as I am about having Washington back; what I like best about this team is the defensive Front 7.
Stewart, Mathis, and Wingate were excellent last year.  Looking forward to seeing how Elee is added to the mix.
Also excited about Jenkins, LeBlanc, Reddick. Dean was a late addition, and moving up a level; but a lot of experience and production.

What Questions Do We Have?

I like a lot of the experience of the WR’s, but we will have to wait and see both how electric that room is, and who shows up consistently.

Clint Trickett is the new OC, and I’m looking forward seeing what that offense looks like.
BSL Terps Analyst Zack Kiesel said on our message board that, “Trickett is an Air Raid guy, from the Dana Holgorsen tree after playing for him at West Virginia. That offense has evolved a lot from what it was initially under Hal Mumme and Mike Leach, and incorporates a lot more of the run game without the traditional wide offensive line splits. But it’s certainly very different from the pro-style scheme that Maryland ran last season. His Jacksonville State team put up the most yards in Conference-USA last season.”

It’s a new system for Washington, and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts.
I’ll be happy if there is plenty of play-action, and quick reads to get the ball out of Washington’s hands.

I was disappointed that CB Kevyn Humes left the program for Rutgers, and OG Alliou Bah left for LSU.

The primary questions are what would constitute a good year, and what’s realistic?

Maryland’s 2026 schedule is:

Hampton (FCS)
@ UConn
Virginia Tech
UCLA
@ Nebraska
@ Ohio State
Rutgers
Illinois
@ Purdue
Wisconsin
@ USC
Penn State

Clearly they’ll beat Hampton in the opener.

UConn has been improving under Jim Mora Jr, going 9-4 last year, and didn’t lose at home.
I think MD fans have been counting this as an automatic W, and it’s not.
When ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor goes up for the game, I’d guess MD is given a 55-60% chance of winning.
It might not be an auto-win, but it’s a game MD has to win.

Virginia Tech at home vs. James Franklin will be interesting.
These schools were scheduled to also play in ’27 and ’28, but VaTech bought out those games. (Maryland replaced the Hokies with Baylor in ’27 and ’28.)
Franklin’s direct history with MD, coupled with his time at Penn State doesn’t have him particularly popular in College Park.
These programs will compete for lots of the same players going forward.
Franklin hit the ground running and brought in a strong recruiting class.
Virginia Tech was a proud program under Frank Beamer; it’s not difficult to see them emerging again under Franklin.
This will probably be a pick’em type game; but again – it’s a game MD needs to win, particularly because it’s at home.
Probably plenty of Virginia Tech fans there.

There will be varying odds, but the home games vs. UCLA, Rutgers, Illinois, and Wisconsin are winnable.
The Badgers might come to College Park as 10 point favorites, but MD winning any of those games would not be some astronomical upset.
The road game at Purdue also feels winnable to me.

It would be surprising (but not impossible) if they won at Nebraska, or at USC.
It would be pretty shocking if MD beat Penn State.  New Nittany Lions HC Matt Campbell has something like 50 transfers, so who knows what they’ll look like – but he’s a quality HC, and I’m going to assume PSU will again have plenty of talent. The Nittany Lions will also travel well, and fill a good portion of the stands.

Ohio State is 9-0 vs. MD, and only 2-3 games have been competitive.  It’s a pretty easy guess that the Buckeyes will be too much for the Terps.

So, 1 (Hampton) automatic win, and 2 (Ohio State, Penn State) automatic losses.  7 games (@UConn, VaTech, UCLA, Rutgers, Illinois, @Purdue, Wisconsin) where ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor will likely give them anywhere been a 41 to 60% chance to win.  2 games (@Nebraska, and @USC) where they’ll probably be given a 30-40% chance to win.

How good are they in those pick’em games?
Are they able to pull an upset anywhere?

A high quality year would be 8 wins, and a decent bowl.
The young players (Washington, and the Defensive Lineman) all have big years; feel good about their progression as a team in ’26, and decide to run it back 1 more year.
There are a lot of upper classman in the 2 Deep.  Another part of a quality year would be further emergence of other Freshman and Sophomores.
MD is probably not in a position where they can beat Ohio State; but you can’t get run off the field at this point of Locksley’s tenure either.
MD has some real ability on the DL, and experience on the O-Line. They should not be getting manhandled in the trenches vs. their fellow Big Ten teams.

What’s a good year? A good year would be not letting the talent on the roster go to waste.
Play solid complimentary football, with a strong defensive Front 7, and excellent Special Teams.
Get a ground game going.  Keep Washington up-right and available.

Locksley is fighting for his job, and his players should be playing with a chip on their collective shoulders.
They all have something to prove.