Maryland Football rises in latest Rivals team rankings for 2026 recruiting class

Head coach Mike Locksley has 12 commits in the 2026 class, headlined by the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation — Zion Elee. The 6-4, 220-pound edge rusher out of Baltimore committed to the Terps back in December and is focused on elevating his hometown program into a legitimate championship contender.

But in order to compete with the likes of Penn State, Michigan, Oregon, and Ohio State, the Terps still have plenty of work to do, both on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal. And in today's era of college athletics, that often means finding ways to compete at the highest level when it comes to NIL. New Athletic Director James E. Smith seems to understand that revenue is the key to success, particularly when competing against the elite programs within the conference.

"We’re going to focus on revenue, because make no mistake about it, to compete with the caliber of schools, not just in the Big Ten but across the country, we must increase our revenues,” Smith said. “We’re going to be trying a few new things — I’m not going to tell anyone any of them today — taking new approaches, applying what I’ve learned from professional leagues.”

We'll see if the new focus helps change the trajectory for the football program in College Park. Since joining the Big Ten back in 2014, Maryland has averaged just 5 wins per season — highlighting just how much they've struggled in this loaded conference. If that's ever going to change, it will take more than just a couple of solid recruiting classes. It's going to require a fundamental shift from those calling the shots at Maryland, and leveraging whatever resources are available to keep the top DMV talent home.