Our journey from last place Purdue to champions Oregon hits step two today with the Maryland Terrapins. After three straight bowl-winning seasons and a 23-16 (11-16) combined record, it seemed as if Mike Locksley and his program had achieved stability and the next step was improving that league record. However, as he fully attested to last year, the NIL distribution at Maryland tore Locksley’s locker room up and as player morale plunged, so did the record. Maryland endured a dismal 4-8 (1-8) record despite it being Locksley’s sixth season. To call this a massive step back seems kind, an unmitigated disaster might be more accurate. Now the Terps enter 2025 with serious questions about this coaching staff’s future and a bunch of new faces on roster to sort out. Let’s do our best to unpack it.
Starting things off of course has to be the engine of it all, the quarterback. Last year Maryland enjoyed a pretty steady hand on the tiller in Billy Edwards Jr. but he is now at Wisconsin. Also transferring is MJ Morris. He showed flashes back in 2023 with NC State as a threat with his legs but his throwing and reading needed improvements. He left Maryland for Coastal Carolina with the exact same description as when he left the Wolfpack.
Perhaps wishing to avoid more NIL headaches, Maryland is going young – very young – for this year. Highly touted four-star recruit Malik Washington looks to recreate the magic of Taulia Tagovailoa and play early and often. If he is half as good as his recruiting hype, then Maryland is in great shape for the next several seasons. Joining Washington as a true freshman is three-star Jackson Hamilton. A true coach’s son, Hamilton’s father is football lifer Pep Hamilton.
Rounding out the QB room are two redshirt freshmen (Khristian Martin, three star & Roman Jensen) to add depth and UCLA’s former back up, Justyn Martin. Martin is the only transfer for the position group. He doesn’t have a ton of starting experience but did lead the Bruins against Penn State last year and handled himself well enough. Pretty clear that this will be Washington’s show and taking the good with the bad is all part of the process when going young at quarterback. Ideally he’ll limit the growing pains this year and be set up for a magical career going forward.
Next up is the running back group, which is almost as young as the QB room. Redshirt Sophomore Nolan Ray will key this group. He is coming off a strong debut season with 75 carries and 374 yards, good enough for second on the team last year, as well as some targets in the passing game. After Ray we have almost all freshmen. A pair of them come in as four-star recruits: Iverson Howard and RS-Freshman DeJuan Williams. Bud Coombs is from local prep juggernaut DeMatha and was a three-start recruit. RS-Junior Eli Mason is mostly a special teamer but has carried the rock sparingly in his career as added depth. Obviously young but Ray showed plenty of flashes last year and all the recruits have strong prep resumes. Surely one of them will click as the other featured back, right? Right??
Mercifully for Maryland fans, the unknowns and inexperience ends with an offensive line that should be a strength. Right Guard Aliou Bah and Right Tackle Alan Herron started 12 games each last season and look to lock down the right side of the line again this year. Herron is especially seasoned with starting every game at his D2 school in 2022 and 2023 and starting the 12 games last year. While at Shorter University he also got starts at Left Tackle so he can provide flexibility if needed. While not as experienced as Bah or Herron, the staff has liked what they have seen from Michael Hershey. A three-star true freshman last year, Hershey still found the field six times a year ago and will certainly get starting reps this year.
Joining the returning cast are three intriguing transfers: Carlos Moore, Rahtrel Perry, and Isaiah Wright. Moore comes in from Elon where he appeared in all 11 games last year and started 10 of them. He split time evenly at both tackle positions. Perry has 26 appearances from his career at Central Connecticut State. Last year he started all 13 games for the NEC champions and played in the FCS playoffs. The O line was great for CCSU, giving up just 0.58 sacks per game, second best nationally in the FCS ranks. Rounding things out is Wright, who actually transferred last year, but got hurt in the offseason and didn’t play in 2024. Before that he was at Buffalo and started 24 consecutive games. He has split time at LT and center in his career.
Adding to the depth are two four-start kids: RS Freshman Ryan Howerton and true freshman Jaylen Gilchrist. [[Editors note, Gilchrist was injured in the FAU debut game, no word on the extent of the injury.]] Based on their prep careers, both of these guys could see the field for Maryland. Gilchrist comes in especially praised, with one recruiting service listing him as the sixth best interior lineman prospect in the entire nation.
Further down the depth chart is a plethora of three-start recruits each hoping to break through. The Maryland passing attack was their strength last year and despite the overall record, passing was not an issue as they racked up tons of yards through the air. I know the QB and wideouts will be different but the line that gave the passing game time to sit in the pocket is mostly back. I don’t think it is a stretch to say Maryland’s O-line could end up not just in the upper half of the league but maybe even crack the top five. They’re experienced, the transfers all have good pedigrees, and there is talented youth with the four-star players. There is no reason this line should falter unless injuries decimate them.
While I’m not as bullish on the defensive line as I am on the offensive side of things, there are still some really intriguing pieces. Leading us off is four-star recruit Zahir Mathis. Rated as the number one recruit in all of Pennsylvania, this is a huge recruit for Maryland and they expect him to contribute right away. While not as highly touted, fellow freshman Sidney Stewart has been getting a lot of hype as summer camp has gone on. Rounding out the intriguing section is transfer Cam Rice. Rice was a D2 All American and played two great seasons at West Liberty University. Last year he was with Ohio in the MAC and also had a stellar season. He looks to up the competition yet again, now in the Big Ten. Listed at 6’2″, 303, he certainly has at least the size to clog things up in the middle.
Beyond this trio, there are four more names I could see factoring into UM’s defensive schemes. Bryce Jenkins is another four-star recruit, Dillan Fontus is a career rotational player but has a lot of game experience and a start under his belt, E.J. More is a transfer from Western Carolina where he appeared on Phil Steele’s FCS All Freshman team, D.D. Holmes is a transfer from Florida State where he was originally a four-star kid, and Eyan Thomas is a transfer from Saint Francis (PA) where he was All-NEC Second Team last year.
In the past Maryland played a 3-3-5 style but with new DC Ted Monachino taking the reins, it will be interesting to see what formations the Terps will deploy now. If they do remain in a three-down look, then the trio I first mentioned should be the starters but if they go to a 4-down look, then move someone from this paragraph to the starting rotation. Beyond the guys I listed there is a lot of un-tested youth for depth. Maryland’s defense was dreadful last year so no place really to go up and with the infusion of talent from recruiting and a few timely transfers, Maryland’s defense will be better. How high up the standings they climb though won’t be apparent until the pads start colliding.
Speaking about pads colliding, let’s get to a linebacker group that I expect to be heard from and felt throughout the year. Kicking things off is the outstanding Daniel Wingate. This name should sound familiar as he has 23 appearances over the last two years and was one of UM’s leading tacklers a year ago. After two productive underclassmen years, the staff is expecting big things as a junior and will be a lock to be an opening day starter. Everything in his career trajectory points up so expect him to start every game this year, provided he avoids any injury. Another guy I expect to make a leap is Michael Harris. Originally a four-star recruit back in 2023, he has 20 appearances in his career so far. While not a lock like Wingate, Harris should either start or be a key cog in any rotation. Trey Riddick is a similar story, despite his three-start status, he appeared in 11 games last year and started one. Keyshawn Flowers and Keyari James also have double digit game experience and will, at the very least, provide depth to the linebacker room.
Further down the depth chart are incoming freshman Carlton Smight (four-star) and Travares Daniels II (three-star). I wouldn’t be surprised if either of them get game action this year. Finally Darius Grimes, a red-shirt sophomore, has four games of experience from last year. Outside of Wingate and Harris, the linebacking group isn’t the most locked in depth-chart wise but I wouldn’t say it is devoid of talent. I think one option for this staff is with so many guys having experience last year, you could do a rotation to always have fresh bodies out there. With less fatigue, this might let the defense hold up deep into the second halves and avoid some of the late game collapses we saw last year (see: MSU and Iowa fourth quarters).
Rounding out the defense we get to what I actually think will be the best unit on this side of the ball, the secondary. There is a great mix of talent and experience that should hold their own in most of the Terp’s games. Headlining this group is Jalen Huskey. Despite being a local kid, Huskey started his career at Bowling Green where he was excellent. Back in 2023 he was an All-MAC performer. Last year, his first with Maryland, he started 11 games and appeared in all 12 and racked up the tackles, picks, and even blocked a punt on special teams. He is poised for a fantastic senior season.
Joining Huskey as probable starters are Dontay Joyner, Jamare Glasker, and Lavain Scruggs. Joyner is an Arkansas State transfer who played in all 24 games of his ASU career. His PFF numbers ranked as the third best corner in the entire Sun Belt last year. He also showed up when ASU played power conference teams, picking off passes against Iowa State and Michigan. Glasker is a Wake Forest transfer who started nine games last year as a Demon Deacon. A sure solo-tackler, 33 of Glasker’s 37 tackles were of the solo variety. He isn’t afraid of blitzing either, picking up several TFLs last year. Finally we get to Scruggs who has just been building and building in the UM system. In 2023 he appeared in 11 games. In 2024 that jumped to 4 starts and 12 appearances total. Despite not being the full time starter he finished fifth on the team in tackles with 43 a year ago. Clearly he trusts Locksley after the bumpy season last year and I’m sure Locksley returns that faith in a guy who has been in the system as long as Scruggs has been.
There are an additional five pieces in the secondary that I think will be key contributors. We have two four-star true freshmen in Zahir Mathis and Messiah Delhomme. Both come highly recruited and being a track and field fan, Delhomme’s long jump career in high school caught my attention. Two more four-star contributors are found in true sophomore Kevyn Humes and redshirt freshman Braydon Lee. Humes made eight appearances as a true freshman last year while Lee made four appearances before taking his redshirt year. Lastly we get La’khi Roland. He made six appearances with one spot-start last year for the Terps. No reason not to expect this sophomore to remain a cog in the secondary rotation. Always a deep position for any team, there are five guys I’d have even lower on the depth chart but as injuries undoubtedly crop up, any of them might see action. Of this group Alex Moore is the most experienced with five game appearances under his belt over the last two years.
After a rocky 11/16 season on field goals, Maryland welcomes two new kickers to the fold and returns a solid punter as well as one of the most experienced long snappers in the league to make all this kicking, hopefully, go off without a hitch. The new kickers are Sean O’Haire and Ryan Capriotti. O’Haire is a transfer from Richmond where he was perfect last year. No joke, he was 12/12 on field goals and 9/9 on PATs. The Irish-born kid had never played a season of football before last year with the Spiders. Despite this, he will be kicker one on the depth chart this year. Capriotti isn’t technically new, he did transfer in last year, but redshirtted and never saw action. If O’Haire performs as expected, Capriotti probably won’t be seen this year, either. As for that punter, it is Bryce McFerson. He was excellent last year and should be again. Don’t be surprised if he is on the short list for the Ray Guy award. Philip Noyes is also on the roster as a punter but his big leg has been used for kickoffs in camp, don’t be shocked if he is doing the kickoffs this year. That super experienced snapper is Ethan Gough. He’s as good as they come in this skill set. Freshman Luke O’Hare is the long-snapper-in-training for UM. As long as O’Haire hits even 75% of his field goals, this is an immediate improvement over last year.
There’s no way to sugar coat last year. It was a disaster. But, with the off-field NIL stuff sorted and some real talent on this roster, I don’t see why Maryland can’t be in the hunt for a bowl again. An incredibly easy schedule all but guarantees Maryland sniffing around a bowl. Barring another Locksley collapse, I don’t see how this team fails to make thirteenth game.
2025 Schedule:
Florida Atlantic:
- Best Case: FAU went just 3-9 last year and lost to that dreadful Michigan State team. 1-0
- Worst Case: Even if FAU is improved, so is UM. 1-0
- Prediction: UConn won this game 48-14 and MSU won 16-10. Just for fun let’s average that out to 32-12. That’s a weird score but I’m rolling with it. W, 32-12, 1-0 (0-0)
Northern Illinois:
- BC: Northern was a solid team last year but was hit hard by the portal. 2-0
- WC: Obviously they stunned Notre Dame last year. Maybe they have another upset in ’em. 1-1
- P: ‘Tis the fate of a good group of five teams, see their key stars move to bigger programs. NIU probably won’t be very good this year. W, 42-10, 2-0 (0-0)
Towson:
- BC: The Tigers were beat pretty handily by a meh Cincy team last year. 3-0
- WC: Towson had a pulse last year going 7-5 but I don’t see this FCS club upsetting UM. 2-1
- P: This one should be well in hand by halftime. W, 49-7, 3-0 (0-0)
At Wisconsin:
- BC: I think Wisconsin’s offense will be a disaster. Huge road win. 4-0
- WC: The Billy Edwards revenge game! Wisconsin starts October Maryland a week early. 2-2
- P: I don’t see this Wisconsin team making a bowl or making the latest offensive transition under Luke Fickell as being very successful. W, 24-14, 4-0 (1-0)
Washington:
- BC: Huskies went 0-5 on the road last year, wow. 5-0
- WC: Despite the terrible road performances, they did make a bowl game unlike Maryland and did knock off Michigan and USC, both nice wins. 2-3
- P: I have a tough read on UW. They have some really talented pieces and there is no way they go winless on the road again, BUT, I also think this Maryland team has some really talented pieces and traveling this great a distance might be too much of an ask for UW. W, 24-21, 5-0 (2-0)
Nebraska:
- BC: Another team with a bizarre season last year. They started 5-1 but limped to a 6-6 finish but then won their bowl. Even their losses were strange, losing by 49 to Indiana but then gave OSU all they could handle in a four point loss. 6-0
- WC: Obviously if NU and UM show zero changes from last year to this year, then Nebraska will win since they were the better team a year ago. 2-4
- P: As tempting as it would be to make cracks about October Maryland and start assigning a bunch of losses, I just can’t. This feels like a toss up game and UM is at home. W, 28-24, 6-0 (3-0)
At UCLA:
- BC: Rarely does Maryland have a coaching edge, let alone a big one. Locksley >> DeShaun Foster. 7-0
- WC: These full country road trips are killers for any road team. 2-5
- P: I cannot believe I am this high on Maryland but here we are. W, 27-17, 7-0 (4-0)
Indiana:
- BC: I do not think for a second IU was a flash in the pan last year. Big road win for the Hoosiers. 7-1
- WC: At one point is Locksley’s seat scalding hot? I feel like a 2-6 start would qualify. 2-6
- P: IU is better offensively, defensively, and coached. They should roll. L, 35-14, 7-1 (4-1)
At Rutgers:
- BC: A good bounce back here as the Rutgers defense has some clear holes in it. 8-1
- WC: Then again when it comes to the coaching match-up, this one is all RU. 2-7
- P: Not a big fan of RU’s defensive projections or their QB play. Nice road dub for the Terps. W, 28-14, 8-1 (5-1)
At Illinois:
- BC: Despite an 8-1 mark, I think Illinois is much closer to the top fourth of the league than Maryland is. 8-2
- WC: Blowout city. 2-8
- P: Illinois should win home games against less talented teams. UM is still a pinch less complete of a team compared to the Illini. L, 24-17, 8-2 (5-2)
Michigan:
- BC: I’m not sure what the final Michigan product will look like. As of now they seem like good D, shaky O but by the end of the season they should have their act together, no? If it is a no, Maryland can win. 9-2
- WC: If it is a yes, then Maryland will not win. 2-9
- P: Can Maryland win this? Sure. Will they? That’s where I start to have my confidence in Locksley diminish. He always loses a stupid game along the way. Losing to this so-so Michigan team at home would be stupid. L, 24-21, 8-3 (5-3)
Michigan State (In Detroit):
- BC: TEN wins, baby! Does that get UM into the expanded playoffs? Maybe, only if Washington and Michigan have good records and the Indiana game is close. Otherwise this is a pretty soft schedule. But still, TEN wins! 10-2
- WC: Locksley is canned and Maryland feels even further away from being good than when he was hired. 2-10
- P: Do I think MSU is going bowling? No, I do not. Do I think UM is going bowling? Yes, clearly I do. Simple math. W, 28-17, 9-3 (6-3)
This prediction will come as a shock because I have never been a Mike Locksley believer; however, we have some stars aligning here. First and foremost, Maryland is talented. Yes, Locksley can be a poor gameday coach but he is one of the best recruiters in the game. A team with this much four-star talent should win a lot of games. Secondly, this schedule is a godsend. Last year Maryland had to face Indiana, Oregon, and Penn State, all teams that made the playoffs, additionally they faced bowl bound teams in USC, Rutgers, and Iowa (sorry Minnesota a bowl at 5-7 is not something I count). That slate would have been hard for Maryland even without all the locker room bickering. This slate has one potential playoff team (Indiana), a few bowl teams (Michigan, Illinois, maybe Washington, maybe Nebraska) and one of the softest non-conference schedules. If Maryland can’t make a bowl with this line-up, Locksley needs to be canned, great recruiting be damned. Third, and lastly, there is no way the team has a total locker room meltdown a second year in a row, right? So yeah, expecting Maryland to win nine games might sound ridiculous, but they were on that trajectory just a few years ago. I think they can get back on that path.
Big Ten and Counting 