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Big Ten coach reveals what Mike Locksley's 'hanging a lot on' to keep Maryland job

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones05/26/26brianjones_93

Maryland head coach Mike Locksley will need one player to step up big for the sake of his future with the team. Athlon Sports spoke to an anonymous Big Ten coach about Maryland, and the coach shared thoughts on what the Terrapins need to do to have a successful 2026 season.

“They’re hanging a lot on the quarterback (Malik Washington) and hoping that he repeats what he did as a freshman,” the Big Ten coach said. “I thought he was really impressive. I didn’t think coming out of high school that he would be ready to do that. I know they lost eight straight, but he was not really the reason that they were losing. (Washington) is elite. He’s a really good athlete, and we hit him a couple times, and it just didn’t bother him.”

“I think it’ll be interesting how that whole thing stays together if they can be really productive on offense. I get the sense that they would like (head coach) Mike Locksley to work out. They’re not trying to get rid of him, but it may just get to a point where they’ve gotta do what they’ve gotta do.”

In 2025, Washington completed 273 passes for 2,963 yards and 17 touchdowns in 12 games. While Washington had a solid season, the Terrapins did not, as they finished 4-8.

Maryland is committed to helping Mike Locksley succeed in 2026

Mike Locksley has been the head coach since 2019 and led Maryland to three winning seasons and three bowl wins. The last time Maryland kept a football head coach for over six seasons was Ralph Friedgen, who was with the team from 2001 to 2010.

In November, Jim Smith told ESPN that Locksley will remain as Maryland’s football coach in 2026. “We are working to strengthen our NIL support for 2026 and beyond and have already seen success for next year,” Smith told ESPN. “We are prioritizing roster retention, recruiting, and competing in the transfer portal.”

Locksley came to Maryland after being an assistant coach at Alabama from 2016 to 2018. This is Lockley’s third stint with the Terrapin,s as he was the running backs coach in 1997 and was the offensive coordinator and interim head coach from 2012 to 2015.

Athlon Sports also looks at Maryland’s 2026 season in its College Football Preview magazine. Fans can order the magazine by clicking HERE.