Quarterback Camaraderie

The 2025 Maryland football roster boasts an extremely talented quarterback room, and it's showing on the field every day at practice. 

With three legitimate options vying for the starting spot come the season opener on August 30, head coach Michael Locksley is excited about the competition unfolding in front of him.

"I know I've got a room of really talented quarterbacks," Locksley said in his preseason press conference. "The three that really shined for me were Justyn Martin, Khristian Martin, and Malik Washington. All similar skill sets. All similar builds. We only need one genre of offense with this group because they're all very similar."

While Locksley says a decision on the starter won't be made for several weeks, the three are coming into their own in practice and finding ways to make each other better. 

"It's Christmas time for us as coaches because we get to see what kind of team we have," Locksley said. 

Three clear contenders have emerged for the starting job, but the competition isn't driving a wedge between teammates. In fact, it's making them closer.

The elder in the room, Justyn Martin (no relation to Khristian), traveled 2,654 miles from UCLA via the transfer portal during the offseason. He came to Maryland with two seasons of eligibility remaining after a 2024 campaign that saw him appear in three games, complete 22 of 30 attempts, and not throw an interception. 

"I think the biggest thing with Justyn is his experience, even though it's not a full resume just yet," Locksley said. "The fact that he's taken a snap under center (in a college game), he's the only guy in that room right now that has done that."

Despite his in-game experience, Justyn Martin doesn't see himself above the rest of the quarterback corps.

"We all give each other tips," Justyn Martin said. "There are some things that I'm better at than somebody else, and vice versa. We all help each other. We all want to get to the same place, and that's all that matters."

"I also see a ton of humility out of the guy," Locksley said. "Some of the new guys come in and they come in with some of the baggage or some of the attitude of 'hey, I'm here' and he really has worked hard to work himself into our team and our family concept."

Washington, a true freshman, joins the Terrapins this season as a consensus four-star recruit from Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, Maryland. The youngest option of the three is already soaking in guidance from his older peers. 

"They're both very cerebral, smart guys," Washington said of J. Martin and K. Martin. "The way they see the defense pre-snap and confirm it post-snap. Just being able to learn from both of them, who have a little bit more experience than me."

Washington also noted that the two Martins are guiding him with "not just football, but college as a whole."

His peers have been just as impressed with him. Justyn Martyn praised Washington's athleticism, saying, "Malik's going to be Malik. He's a talented kid and he always finds a way to make the play work."

Washington's not letting the pressure of his first camp take away from building relationships with his new quarterback room. 

"We're all best friends and we're all rooting for each other," Washington said. "I think that makes us kind of special, just because we each want to see the other person win. So, no matter who's getting reps that day, whoever's out there, everyone's excited to see them win because we spend so much time together that we kind of have no choice but to be friends."

Khristian Martin is the only of the three options that's returning to the program from last season. Although he didn't appear in any games in 2024, Martin was a consensus three-star recruit out of high school and the No. 33 overall prospect from the state of Virginia for his class. 

Khristian Martin shined during Maryland's Red-White Spring game in April, completing 16-of-23 passes for 269 yards with four touchdown passes en route to being named as the game's MVP. 

"His feet are always in rhythm," Justyn Martin said of Khristian Martin. "He's a real accurate passer, and I feel like he's learned the timing of each concept very well. He's not holding onto the ball too long."

Khristian Martin has done nothing but welcome his new teammates into a program he's entering his second season in. 

"They have really great energy every day," Khristian Martin said about Justyn Martin and Washington. "Both of those guys have great energy. Justyn's a very accurate passer. Malik's a very accurate passer, and I think they've both done very well with knowing the system and getting to the proper checks."

Locksley said that a key to responding from a 4-8 season in 2024 is the foundation he and his staff have built over his six seasons at the helm. "I see this year being a year of elevation because of the foundation we were able to build over the last six seasons. That'll allow us to bounce back quicker."

Part of that response, no doubt, will rely on the effectiveness of the quarterback room. 

"We're looking for consistency in our decision making at that position," offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton said. 

Khristian Martin also knows exactly what his coaches are seeking: "Being fluent in the system, being able to push the tempo — whatever tempo we're at — executing the plays, protecting the football and making the necessary checks and throws."

The foundation that Locksley constructed for his 2025 roster includes three incredibly athletic quarterbacks, each of whom possesses the skills needed to elevate Terrapin football to where the seventh-year coach wants to take it.