DMV Avengers Assemble: Maryland’s Homegrown Heroes Unite to Protect College Park

There was an idea… to bring together a group of remarkable athletes and see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when College Park needs them to, and fight the battles in the Big Ten. 

It’s an old-fashioned notion, but one that’s starting to play out before Terps fans’ eager eyes. 

Current Maryland superstar quarterback Malik Washington, incoming five-star edge rusher Zion Elee, incoming basketball forward Baba Oladotun, and Olympic gold medalist and future Maryland track star Quincy Wilson are combining their powers to create an unstoppable future of athletics in College Park.

After they all signed with Maryland, Washington created a group chat to assemble the next heroes of Maryland Athletics, which they dubbed “DMV Avengers.”

The band of super athletes’ mission is clear:

“Continue to inspire other DMV athletes to stay home and play for their state,” Washington said. “These guys help set the trend of guys wanting to stay home. We have some of the best in their respective sports, and them staying home and playing for our hometown school just shows other people that you can do it right here.”

Washington hails from Glen Burnie, Maryland. Elee plays for Saint Francis Academy up in Baltimore. Wilson lives in Gaithersburg, and Oladotun attends high school near the XFINITY Center in Silver Spring. The Maryland brand means a ton to the DMV Avengers, and they’re ready to protect the flag.

“It’s great,” Wilson said. “Everyone’s super excited. It means a lot to everyone to be able to represent their home state. The flag with the “M” logo on it and the state flag both mean a lot to everybody, and we’re all so excited to get started.”

Wilson won an Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics at age 16, becoming the youngest male American track and field Olympian ever. Having already experienced glory at the highest level, the calling was clear: bring success back to the place that raised him. 

“It means a lot to be able to stay home and build off something I've already created,” Wilson said. “The University of Maryland was just a great fit. As soon as I get on campus, it’s time to go.”

Oladotun is tearing up the court at James Hubert Blake High School as one of Maryland’s highest-rated recruits in program history. The convenience of staying home close to his support staff and trainers, coupled with the palpable buzz of the new era of Maryland men’s basketball, made College Park the clear answer to host his next steps toward greatness.

“I feel at peace with my decision,” Oladotun said on his signing day. “I feel confident. I’m definitely excited. I feel so blessed. I just want to work harder in the future so I can be the best player I can be.”

Elee is set to be Maryland football’s biggest recruit in program history, bringing a thumping presence to a Terrapins defense that was already one of the Big Ten’s scariest forces. 

“While my main focus will be to be a dedicated student-athlete, another driving factor of my decision is to be able to stay close to home and be a role model in my community,” Elee said on X. “There's no better place to do that than Maryland.”

Washington brought them all together through a group chat, one he’s been able to mentor and encourage the young athletes through. 

“It was just about giving them a space to talk,” Washington said. “We all play a bunch of different sports, so we all have things going on all the time. But with my experience, at least, my first semester here, if they want to ask questions about the moving process or anything else, I can help with that.”

According to Washington, the breakdown of the DMV Avengers is simple. He’s Nick Fury, the ringleader who created the group chat and created a place for the athletes to bond.  

“The DMV is such a well-connected area where everybody knows everybody,” Washington said. “I was able to have a bunch of different experiences with different people that shaped me into the person that I am today.”

Wilson has already brought international glory to the United States, so he was the obvious choice for Captain America. 

“Having already been on the big stage, and now coming to run for Coach Valmon, his knowledge of competing at the highest levels is going to be really great,” Wilson said.

Elee’s ready to wreak havoc on Big Ten backfields and tear through offensive lines with an intensity that only The Hulk can match.

While Oaldotun doesn't need a cape or a magical hammer to fly high above the court for Buzz Williams' basketball program, he'll still rattle the rims with a Thor-like thunder.

“It’s about the relationship I built with Coach Buzz and the entire Maryland staff,” Oladotun said on his signing day. “It’s close to home, and they did everything to get to know my family. It brings so much opportunity.”

The four take so much pride in keeping the DMV great and honoring the area that raised and shaped them.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize the community that raised you is a part of why you are who you are,” Washington said. “This is kind of my way of being able to give back to that community, by staying here and making more people aware of what a great community that is.”

They first assembled in person at Maryland’s basketball game against Michigan in December, the same night when Washington publicly announced his return for another season. For the first time, the four had the chance to meet and survey their new territory. 

“It was really nice to be able to sit back and talk and realize we're all just regular people playing the sport that we love around the people that we love,” Washington said. “We share a common interest, and I think we can help each other with the experience of it all.”

Maryland is collecting superstar athletes like infinity stones, creating a force to be reckoned with across several sports in the powerful Big Ten. With women’s basketball’s Jordyn Jackson, women’s lacrosse’s Cayden Reese and men’s lacrosse’s Brady Mollot all inbound, exciting times are on the near horizon for Maryland and its homegrown talent.

“There’s a lot of real good, local talent staying home right here in Maryland,” Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics Jim Smith said. “That’s what we really want to focus on, building Maryland as the destination for these elite athletes that play in our area.”

“I think this is going to bring more attention to the school,” Washington said. “More people are going to want to go to the basketball games, track meets, and to the football because of how many guys are from around here that are staying here.”

Their endgame is to create an era of dominance in College Park and pave the way for more homegrown talent to keep their roots home. DMV Avengers, assemble.