Maryland QB Malik Washington staying put in ‘26

Malik Washington, a former five-star quarterback recruit coming out of high school, is returning to Maryland for the 2026 season, the program announced.

Washington is from Severn, Md., and elected to stay home for college over numerous other offers. It was unknown whether he would test the transfer portal following a 4-8 season for the Terrapins.

"Representing this team, this area, means so much to me and my family," Washington said in a statement Saturday. "This is home and we're going to continue keeping the best athletes from this area here with the Terps. I believe in everyone in our facility and I know we're building something that our fans will be excited about for years to come."

Washington beat out two other quarterbacks for the starting job as a true freshman, and he completed 57.7% of this throws for 2,963 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 12 games. He added 303 yards and four TDs on the ground.

However, Maryland dropped the final eight games of the season after a 4-0 start. The program announced last month that it would retain head coach Mike Locksley.