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COLLEGE PARK — Mike Locksley, entering his eighth year as Maryland football’s head coach, has strictly prohibited freshmen players from speaking to the media. But Malik Washington has reset expectations everywhere he’s gone.
The first-year quarterback, who graduated from Spalding early to join the Terps this spring, was trotted out by the team after a Tuesday evening practice to a swarm of reporters taking advantage of this first-of-its-kind opportunity. Most college football programs have no such rules about limiting freshmen’s public appearances. Locksley, who adapted the policy from his former superior Nick Saban, was old school in that way in an evolving landscape where tradition is getting left behind. This is the latest to be discarded.
Washington has a legitimate path to win Maryland’s starting quarterback job this spring and summer. Meanwhile, the Terps haven’t shied away from amplifying the excitement around their prospect. His Tuesday appearance proved he won’t be treated like an average first-year player — because they don’t view him as one.
“He’s shown some maturity that you don’t see,” Locksley said. “He’s different from the typical freshman.”
Why did Locksley change that policy now?
“To give you a glimpse,” he said. “I know our fans want to see it, and this is part of me changing and evolving. It’s an opportunity for me to open a door for you guys to see a small snapshot of what Malik Washington can be.”
The quarterback faces immense pressure, as much as he or his coach may try to downplay it, as the face of both the Terps’ present and future. He doesn’t look or speak like most 19-year-olds, whether that’s calmly leading an offense during practice or handling stiff questions with ease.
The seven quarterbacks listed on the Terps’ spring roster have a combined zero college starts. Justyn Martin, who threw for 179 yards across five appearances with UCLA over the past two seasons, is Washington’s primary competition for the starting job. Locksley chose not to bring in experienced signal callers to replace outgoing transfers Billy Edwards (Wisconsin) and MJ Morris (Coastal Carolina), a potential sign of faith in the Spalding product.
Washington said Locksley told him throughout the recruiting process, which began when the quarterback was in eighth grade, that the job would be an open competition.
Washington was a consensus four-star prospect and the fifth-ranked quarterback nationally in the 2025 class, according to 247 Sports. He led the Cavaliers to three consecutive Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championships, the first quarterback to do so and finished his high school career as the conference’s all-time leading passer.
“Getting here early allows me to prepare and make my mistakes pretty early,” Washington said. “So that way, when it comes down to crunch time, those mistakes aren’t being made.”
Washington leads a dynamic 2025 recruiting class that ranks as Maryland’s best under Locksley. Five other four-star prospects will accompany Washington in College Park this fall. Then Zion Elee, the nation’s No. 2 overall player, will join them in 2026. Five-star Georgetown Prep offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho could follow. Washington has been vocal about his desire to bring them along.
But it all starts with Washington, who will decide how these next few years unfold and lead what Maryland and Locksley hope is a fruitful end to a lengthy rebuild. Heightened expectations bring added pressure to win, which the coach is experiencing more of now with the athletic director who hired him out of the picture.
Locksley and Maryland’s aspirations rest squarely on their new quarterback. For an athletic department longing for stabilization, Washington could be that. He’s already doing things no Terps freshman has in recent seasons, starting with Tuesday’s appearance.
“I typically don’t let freshmen talk for the sake of them not being prepared for managing the type of media we have,” Locksley said. “But there’s no doubt in my mind, he’s a little different.”
Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.
Continue reading...
The first-year quarterback, who graduated from Spalding early to join the Terps this spring, was trotted out by the team after a Tuesday evening practice to a swarm of reporters taking advantage of this first-of-its-kind opportunity. Most college football programs have no such rules about limiting freshmen’s public appearances. Locksley, who adapted the policy from his former superior Nick Saban, was old school in that way in an evolving landscape where tradition is getting left behind. This is the latest to be discarded.
Washington has a legitimate path to win Maryland’s starting quarterback job this spring and summer. Meanwhile, the Terps haven’t shied away from amplifying the excitement around their prospect. His Tuesday appearance proved he won’t be treated like an average first-year player — because they don’t view him as one.
“He’s shown some maturity that you don’t see,” Locksley said. “He’s different from the typical freshman.”
Why did Locksley change that policy now?
“To give you a glimpse,” he said. “I know our fans want to see it, and this is part of me changing and evolving. It’s an opportunity for me to open a door for you guys to see a small snapshot of what Malik Washington can be.”
The quarterback faces immense pressure, as much as he or his coach may try to downplay it, as the face of both the Terps’ present and future. He doesn’t look or speak like most 19-year-olds, whether that’s calmly leading an offense during practice or handling stiff questions with ease.
The seven quarterbacks listed on the Terps’ spring roster have a combined zero college starts. Justyn Martin, who threw for 179 yards across five appearances with UCLA over the past two seasons, is Washington’s primary competition for the starting job. Locksley chose not to bring in experienced signal callers to replace outgoing transfers Billy Edwards (Wisconsin) and MJ Morris (Coastal Carolina), a potential sign of faith in the Spalding product.
Washington said Locksley told him throughout the recruiting process, which began when the quarterback was in eighth grade, that the job would be an open competition.
Washington was a consensus four-star prospect and the fifth-ranked quarterback nationally in the 2025 class, according to 247 Sports. He led the Cavaliers to three consecutive Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championships, the first quarterback to do so and finished his high school career as the conference’s all-time leading passer.
“Getting here early allows me to prepare and make my mistakes pretty early,” Washington said. “So that way, when it comes down to crunch time, those mistakes aren’t being made.”
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Washington leads a dynamic 2025 recruiting class that ranks as Maryland’s best under Locksley. Five other four-star prospects will accompany Washington in College Park this fall. Then Zion Elee, the nation’s No. 2 overall player, will join them in 2026. Five-star Georgetown Prep offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho could follow. Washington has been vocal about his desire to bring them along.
But it all starts with Washington, who will decide how these next few years unfold and lead what Maryland and Locksley hope is a fruitful end to a lengthy rebuild. Heightened expectations bring added pressure to win, which the coach is experiencing more of now with the athletic director who hired him out of the picture.
Locksley and Maryland’s aspirations rest squarely on their new quarterback. For an athletic department longing for stabilization, Washington could be that. He’s already doing things no Terps freshman has in recent seasons, starting with Tuesday’s appearance.
“I typically don’t let freshmen talk for the sake of them not being prepared for managing the type of media we have,” Locksley said. “But there’s no doubt in my mind, he’s a little different.”
Have a news tip? Contact Taylor Lyons at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/TaylorJLyons.
Continue reading...
