Maryland Football Boasts Returning Core Ahead of 2026 Season

The identity of the 2025 Maryland Terrapins was a band of new faces ready to make impacts in their first season with the program, but the layout of the 2026 roster couldn’t be more different. 

“We’ve retained a majority of our core,” head coach Michael Locksley said. “I think a lot of credit can be given to our staff and how they did, but also to our players who see the value of being here at Maryland. We’re excited about what this looks like because we have a group of guys that know the system and know what it looks like.”

Maryland football opened its spring practice slate on Tuesday, and there's excitement in the air around College Park. Unlike last year’s squad — which featured 64 players that had never taken a snap as a Terp prior to the first game against Florida Atlantic — the 2026 roster is full of familiar faces and a group that’s ready to build Maryland up.

“I’m excited that we’ve been able to grow our program the right way,” Locksley said. “We’ve been very intentional about how this team has been built. We’ve had the patience to allow young, talented players to grow because talent hasn’t been the issue. Executing under pressure has been, and that’s something that comes with experience, and wisdom, and now we have that. This is how you want your roster to be built.”

"Representing this team, this area, means so much to me and my family,” quarterback Malik Washington said. “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.”

In 2026, Maryland returns 71% of its production from the 2025 roster, which ranks second nationally to only Notre Dame. A band of talented players that enjoyed individual successes amidst an adversity-filled season is back to build off the foundation that 2025 set. 

“We collectively know we’re capable of more than we did last year as a team,” Sidney Stewart said. “We have confidence in the guys coming back and know that the coaching staff will add even more talent. The future of the Terps is very bright.”

On the offensive side of the ball, the Terps are bringing back 68% of their offensive production from 2025, which ranks 17th nationally. Highlighted by Washington (who threw for 2,963 yards as a true freshman), tight end Dorian Fleming (who collected 351 receiving yards), and running back DeJuan Williams (who led the Terps in ground yards), Maryland will have a sense of continuity on offense that the 2025 season wasn’t able to offer.

“When I transferred here last year, it was because I believed in the long-term vision that Coach Locks has for this program,” Fleming said. “You see so many of us coming back for 2026 because we know that we have a special group that can accomplish great things. We’re going to push each other all offseason and show our fans just what we’re capable of next season.”

Defensively, the Terps were a dominant force in 2025, snagging a Big Ten-leading 19 interceptions. 74% of Maryland’s defensive production is back for 2026, highlighted by a tandem of Stewart and Zahir Mathis — who combined for 67 tackles and 13 sacks in their freshman seasons — the Terps bring back a defensive unit that ranks fourth in the nation in returning production, trailing only Florida, Notre Dame, and Air Force.

“We have a lot of guys that are hungry and play with a chip on their shoulder,” Mathis said. “Last year just added to that. The energy of this team is different regardless of how last season went. The togetherness and brotherhood is there. We have a team that's meant for special things, I truly believe that and can’t wait for others to see it.”

Daniel Wingate is ready for his fourth year in College Park. He has seen what’s needed for success, and has bought in for a final year with Locksley and a group that’s building itself to win in 2026. 

“My first three seasons in College Park have been special, and I want to finish it out the right way in 2026,” Wingate said. “My goal is to leave this place better than when I arrived, and we’ll have the opportunity to do just that this coming season with all of the guys that are running it back. We’re going to relentlessly attack this offseason and be ready to put on a show when next fall rolls around.”

In an era when the transfer portal can dominate the offseason, Maryland lost only five players to the portal who played 150 or more snaps in 2025, tied for the second-fewest in the Big Ten and among the nation's top 20 fewest impact players lost.

“Culture and development still matter,” Locksley said. “We have players here that want to be here, not because of a paycheck, but because of the great opportunity it is to play here at the University of Maryland and get a degree from this place.”

College Park is a place that good football players want to be. After learning and growing as a unit in 2025, the Terps are ready to compete in 2026. The key pieces are returning, and there’s a sense of cohesion within the team that’ll continue to raise the barometer for Maryland football