Predictions for Maryland football’s 2026 season: Top players, bold takes and more

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To the excitement of many and to the chagrin of others, Testudo Times has almost run out of Maryland football preseason content. 

We’ve looked through the nine position groups, recapped season-opening press conferences and previewed the Terps’ first opponents of the season.

But as is custom, we’ll give the lemon one last squeeze for some good old-fashioned prediction lemonade. The Terps take the field in under 48 hours, and our clairvoyant writers will tell you exactly how Maryland’s season is going to go — except for the parts where they contradict themselves, when, well, someone theoretically has to be wrong. 

Offensive MVP

Nolan’s pick: Dorian Fleming

There’s one incredibly easy choice for this section, but more on him later. The biggest question marks for this Maryland offense revolve around the wide receiving corps, which collectively has yet to prove it can impact at a Big Ten level. Those questions overlook the Maryland tight end who has already proven he can assume a receiver-level burden in the passing game. 

Dorian Fleming’s 40 catches for 353 yards and three touchdowns last year came on a target share under 14% — which will almost certainly increase with the new composition of the receiving corps. He’ll also likely get schemed open farther away from the line of scrimmage under offensive coordinator Clint Trickett. The former FAU tight ends coach could have another Mackey Award-winner on his hands.

Dylan’s pick: DeJuan Williams

While Maryland’s ground game was one of the conference’s worst last season, DeJuan Williams still left his fingerprints all over the Terps’ offense. He produced 927 total yards, with 426 coming in the passing game — the top mark among all Big Ten running backs. Williams’ 45 receptions ranked second on the team in 2025 and he earned 42% of the carries last year.

Maryland ranked fourth nationally in pass attempts per game. But Trickett’s efforts to elevate the run game and a lack of experienced options behind Williams should grant him more opportunities in the rush attack. 

With new faces in the Terps’ wide receiver room, Williams will remain a threat through the air as well. The 5-foot-11 running back is explosive out of the backfield, leading the team with 432 yards after the catch last season. Williams will remain the guy in Maryland’s running back group and is already on national radars after he was selected to the Doak Walker Award watch list.

Jude’s pick: Malik Washington

Coming off a freshman rookie season far more prolific than expected, Malik Washington is poised to provide significant value to the Terps beyond records and mind-boggling stats. Washington shattered previous freshman completion and passing yards marks in 2025 and remains Trickett’s most prized possession heading into Saturday’s season opener.

Maryland’s offense relies on Washington in a way that few other programs handle their gunslingers. His stellar individual expo in the season finale at Michigan State saw him account for more than 89% of the Terps’ total offense. Additionally, Washington excels at extending plays, more so than nearly every Division I quarterback, a necessary talent given Maryland’s drop-prone wideout room last season. 

With a year under his belt, the sophomore takes on a new role: acclimating his new receivers to the Big Ten. If Washington can distribute the ball well while avoiding sacks and turnovers at a similar or better rate than 2025, the Terps could see their overall and conference records skyrocket. While the NFL Draft is still likely a few years away, Washington’s opportunity to establish himself as an all-time program great begins with a step up this season.

Defensive MVP

Nolan’s pick: Daniel Wingate

Maybe it’s a little bit of a lazy pick to choose a captain named Maryland’s overall team MVP by his teammates. At the same time, the 102 tackles Daniel Wingate logged to pace the Terps last year came despite his playing through a litany of injuries to finish the season. With an offseason to get healthy and an improved front six fleshing out around him, Wingate will have the opportunity to produce more efficiently. 

Already, the football world is learning the linebacker’s name: he was one of 68 athletes placed on the watchlist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded to the best defensive player in college football. Another productive season will all but guarantee Wingate gets called during the NFL Draft in April. 

Dylan’s pick: Sidney Stewart

Maryland’s pass rush is arguably the deepest unit on the team, but Sidney Stewart will be a name that fans across the country will remember this season. After a sensational freshman campaign, the pressure is on — and it only intensified after Zahir Mathis, Stewart’s fellow starting edge rusher, suffered a season-ending injury.

Standing at 6-foot-2, Stewart’s quick burst allowed him to blow past elite offensive linemen and generate quarterback pressure with ease. He posted a team-high seven sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, along with 40 total pressures. While five-star recruit Zion Elee will get some of the buzz, Stewart is a budding star on Maryland’s defense.

Jude’s pick: Lavain Scruggs

In terms of pass coverage and run containment, Lavain Scruggs is as valuable as a player could be for Maryland’s defense. The redshirt senior has solidified himself as a crucial piece on defense for the Terps due to both his individual skills and circumstances surrounding the depth chart.

Scruggs finished third on the team with 64 tackles in 2025 and coupled it with a pair of interceptions while starting every game last season. Additionally, there is very little depth behind him at the safety position, with Messiah Delhomme being the only other with any meaningful playing time. His skill and necessity on the back end really puts the “valuable” in “Most Valuable Player.”

Newcomer of the year

Nolan’s pick: Lavon Johnson 

Can someone technically count as a newcomer if they’ve already played two years for Maryland?

There are several interior defensive linemen on the roster capable of earning time as the season goes on, but Johnson’s pedigree and familiarity with the program should see him snag a starting spot. Maryland’s defense lost its two best run-stuffers from last year and will greatly benefit from another veteran presence inside. Johnson should follow in Cam Rice’s footsteps as an instant-impact interior transfer — just one Terps fans will already know a little better.

Dylan’s pick: Zion Elee

When head coach Michael Locksley unveils his starting lineup ahead of Saturday’s season opener, Elee will likely be among those listed. And it’s justified. The consensus five-star recruit and highest-ranked prospect in program history shoulders an enormous amount of pressure as a freshman.

Elee totaled 72 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 12 sacks during his senior year of high school, showcasing his explosive first step. While he is fighting for snaps with returners DD Holmes and Nahsir Taylor, Elee’s prowess could give him an edge over the competition. Mathis’ injury leaves a starting spot open opposite Stewart, and Elee will likely claim it.

Jude’s pick: Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding

Maryland’s wide receiver room was one to watch this offseason after leading the country in dropped passes and losing its top three targets. If Trickett wants his offense to be successful, it will likely require that his highly-touted incoming wideouts produce heavily in their first year at power-conference level.

Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding is possibly the best offseason pickup of the five incoming receiver recruits and for very good reason. The junior hauled in 51 receptions and six touchdowns and had 667 receiving yards at Old Dominion in 2025. Gladding also received a 91.9 PFF drop grade and should welcome Washington’s passes with open arms and – more importantly – gentle hands. 

Bold prediction

Nolan’s pick: Maryland takes back the fourth quarter. 

Last year, Locksley repeatedly stated that Maryland’s goal was to win the fourth quarter of games. An aggregated fourth-quarter score was posted in the Jones-Hill House weight room throughout the season, reminding players of the significance of that effort. The Terps started well with performances in the final frame, but as the year wore on, the sign came to have a different sort of significance.

In 2025, Maryland was outscored 102-32 across 12 fourth quarters. 

A figure that lopsided is the result of errors on both sides of the ball; the 102 points against jumps out as an immediate area of concern, but the Terps also averaged less than three points per fourth quarter last year. 

With a year of experience and several close losses under the belt, it’s not unimaginable to think the Terps rebound well offensively and defensively in late games. Improved depth in key areas could keep big players fresh enough to make the big plays late to turn losses into wins — or at least stop the bleeding. 

Dylan’s pick: Maryland loses its first nonconference game in seven years.

The Terps have found little recent success during Big Ten play, combining for just two wins over the last two years. But Maryland’s weak nonconference slate has continuously boosted the team’s win total — the Terps hold the nation’s longest active nonconference win streak at 18 games.

But for the first time since 2019, Maryland will drop one of its first three games. The Terps face UConn, who finished 9-4 last season with multiple power conference victories, and a new-look Virginia Tech team coached by James Franklin — he has won 9 of his previous 11 contests against Maryland. I expect the Terps to trip up in one of those games.

Jude’s pick: Maryland wins following a bye week.

Maryland has just one chance to break their 0-11 post-bye week record in the Locksley era this season compared to its two failed attempts in 2025. However, the Terps’ roster improvements and retention of talent place them in prime position to break this seven-year streak.

This will require Maryland to take down Illinois in week nine. The two teams clashed last season, when the highly-regarded Illini came out on top in 24-6 fashion. However, the two squads appear far closer in terms of roster talent coming into this year, and their matchup could prove to be the one that bucks the trend.

Record prediction

Nolan’s pick: 6-6

I’ll preface this by saying that I believe this is the minimum requirement for Maryland to be able to consider this season a success. I do not believe that it is the team’s floor; I do not believe that it is the team’s ceiling, either. 

The Terps’ schedule undeniably plays a role. Maryland gets to play two fellow basement-dwellers in Purdue and Rutgers, typical mid-table suspects Illinois and Nebraska are each arguably the weakest they’ve been in years, and the Terps went out and beat Wisconsin last year. 

At the same time, though, this roster is easily more talented and complete than either of the two that produced 4-8 seasons. 

Dylan’s pick: 7-5

While Locksley has said several times he doesn’t feel the pressure, he is likely coaching for his job this season. After consecutive 4-8 records, anything less than a bowl game appearance would be a disappointment considering the talent on the roster. Maryland’s optimism throughout the offseason centers around its returning talent, but the Terps will need the on-field product to back it up this year.

Luckily for Locksley and Maryland, the schedule is manageable. The Terps avoid five preseason ranked teams — No. 1 Ohio State, No. 14 USC and No. 18 Penn State are the biggest challenges. While I believe Maryland doesn’t go perfect through nonconference play, the Terps face six teams from the bottom half of the Big Ten last season.

The opportunities are there for a bounceback campaign. Now, it’s time to see if Maryland can get the program back on track.

Jude’s pick: 6-6

A decade ago, a team with this level of talent could have potentially competed with some of the best programs in the country. However, the skill gap between top Big Ten and SEC schools and the rest of college football is simply too difficult to overcome for the Terps in their current state.

While I believe that fans will see notable improvement in Big Ten play due to a relaxed schedule and a more complete depth chart, it’s hard to see a pathway for Maryland to do much more than make its first bowl game since 2023. If the Terps’ record dips any lower than predicted without improvements in fourth-quarter play and third-down conversions, expect Locksley’s seat to get even hotter than its current Sahara Desert levels.

Big Ten champion

Nolan’s pick: Oregon

Oregon has been able to maintain consistent excellence since joining the Big Ten — even though that period hasn’t been very long. But statistically, the Ducks have won 50% of Big Ten titles (one of two) since supplanting Maryland as the conference’s co-newest members and only lost one regular season game over that span.

Malik Washington is one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten, but Dante Moore may very well be the best. The Ducks avoid pesky teams in Indiana, Penn State and Iowa and face Michigan and UCLA at home. If they can overcome Ohio State, the path to a conference title is clear.

Dylan’s pick: Indiana

The reigning national champions are projected to finish third in the Big Ten. Let that sink in for a second. After a dominant run in which it breezed through the regular season and the playoffs, Indiana is somehow being doubted again.

While eight Hoosiers were selected in the NFL Draft, head coach Curt Cignetti brought in the eighth-ranked transfer portal class, headlined by former Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh and TCU quarterback Josh Hoover. They are just a few of several experienced players in Indiana’s offseason haul.

Without Oregon on its schedule, the Hoosiers main challenge comes against preseason top-ranked Ohio State. Indiana gets the comfort of playing that game in front of its home crowd. No. 14 USC, No. 16 Michigan and No. 17 Washington are no slouch either, but I believe the Hoosiers will win three of those four games with the head-to-head tiebreaker over Ohio State — likely good enough to get to the Big Ten championship game.

Jude’s pick: Ohio State

There’s truly nothing hot about this take.

Ohio State has once again piled together another talented group filled with future NFL stars. With returning Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin commanding the offense alongside a roster with very few holes to pick at, the Buckeyes appear poised for a second straight Big Ten championship game appearance and another deep run in the College Football Playoff.

If head coach Ryan Day has truly shaken off his nagging curse surrounding “The Game,” the runway to an undefeated regular season slate seems extremely clear. Terps fans will get a glimpse of the current No. 1-ranked team in their bout on Oct. 12 in the second game of a two-game road trip.

National champion

Nolan’s pick: Ohio State

For the same reasons Jude picked the Buckeyes to win the Big Ten, I think it’s incredibly easy to see them winning the national championship. Several key contributors who won the national championship two years ago remain on the team, and the team will be even more battle-tested following a tough regular season schedule. With six preseason top 25 opponents on the docket, the Buckeyes can afford two or three losses and still make it into the playoffs.

Once there, well… you would expect some of these star names to step up, wouldn’t you? The Buckeyes have an elite offensive line that’ll keep Sayin clean, and there’s just too much talent on the defensive side for stars to not assert themselves. A victory for Ohio State would truly establish the Big Ten era in college football — and maybe keep it running long enough for Maryland to make more strides towards the playoff.

Dylan’s pick: Georgia

Three straight national champions have come from the Big Ten. The last team outside the conference to hoist the trophy: Georgia. With the eighth-highest returning production and Heisman Trophy contender Gunner Stockton among those pieces, the No. 3-ranked Bulldogs will be a force to be reckoned with this year.

In a crowded SEC that features nine ranked teams, Georgia only has to face four of them. And the Bulldogs are the safest pick to win the conference, led by the most decorated active coach in college football, Kirby Smart. Georgia has reached four of the last five playoffs, and was 56 seconds away from completing a comeback to force overtime against Ole Miss in the quarterfinals last year.

This feels like the year Georgia gets back on top and ends the Big Ten’s run of dominance.

Jude’s pick: Texas

After talking with some of my peers, I realize I may be one of the only Arch Manning believers left in College Park. But my pick for the 2026 national champion isn’t just related to the highest-paid collegiate athlete of all time, but rather the supporting cast that is expected to steamroll much of its competition.

Bringing new offensive coordinator Will Muschamp into the fold provides the Longhorns with a more pressure-heavy approach that should allow star edge rusher Colin Simmons to attack to his heart’s content. The linebacker duo of Rasheem Biles and Justin Cryer should also excel with the new defensive approach and stacked defensive group.

While less exciting than the defense, the offense’s receiver standouts include returner Ryan Wingo and Auburn transfer Cam Coleman, who should be more successful at reigning in Manning’s passes compared to last year’s group. All in all, Texas should continue to be on many pundits’ radars as the season continues. 

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