Maryland Terrapins: 5 Players to Watch in 2026
By Owain Jones
Maryland looked like a different football team through the opening month of last season.
A 4-0 start, including an impressive road win at Wisconsin, suggested Mike Locksley’s program had finally found the consistency it had been searching for. Then everything changed. Eight consecutive defeats exposed a roster that simply wasn’t ready to cope with injuries, adversity, and the week-to-week grind of the Big Ten.
But 2026 is an opportunity to respond.
This season is about the Terrapins showing the program is on the right trajectory. Another offseason should benefit quarterback Malik Washington, the coaching staff has reshaped the offense, and several of Maryland’s most talented players are entering defining seasons.
Whether that translates into wins will depend heavily on these five names.
Turn on Maryland’s defensive tape, and one player keeps appearing around the football.
Daniel Wingate may not be the flashiest defender on the roster, but he was the most dependable in 2025.
His 102 tackles made him the Terrapins’ first 100-tackle defender since 2018, although his influence expands far beyond the box score. Wingate’s the player organising the front before the snap, fitting the run correctly, and cleaning up when plays break down.
Ultimately, Wingate provides stability so the young Maryland defense can play aggressively.
With pass rushers such as Zahir Mathis continuing to develop, Maryland’s defense should become more disruptive in 2026. And Wingate’s presence is a big reason why the coaching staff can afford to turn those players loose.
Punting rarely attracts headlines. But Bruce McFerson deserves some.
Winning the field-position battle often decides football games. And in the Big Ten, McFerson’s prowess is on full display, and he should star again in 2026.
Maryland enters the season replacing proven production on offense, meaning shorter fields and hidden yardage will become even more valuable during the first half of the campaign.
Field position remains one of the most overlooked indicators of success in closely contested conference games, and the former Notre Dame Fighting Irish transfer averaged 44.2 yards per punt while earning second-team All-Big Ten honors, repeatedly pinning opponents deep in their own territory.
His performance against UCLA, which saw him put five of his eight punts inside the 20, was the perfect example.
McFerson may never dominate the headlines, but he could quietly win Maryland a game or two.
Zahir Mathis looks exactly like the special prospect Maryland signed him to be.
Winning recruiting battles against Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State raised expectations from the moment he arrived in College Park, and Mathis’ freshman season only heightened them.
Six sacks, Freshman All-America recognition, and flashes of genuine game-changing explosiveness hinted at a player capable of becoming one of the conference’s premier pass rushers.
And 2026 will see him enter the next phase of his development after expectations were set in his Freshman season.
Opposing offenses will now build protection plans around him, while former Maryland All-American Randy Starks begins his first season coaching the defensive line.
Dorian Fleming became a trusted pass catcher for Malik Washington, with the tight end creating a bond with the quarterback remarkably quickly.
The former Georgia State Panthers transfer finished tied for second among Big Ten tight ends with 40 receptions, but his real value came on critical downs. Fleming consistently found space over the middle and gave Malik Washington an easy answer when the first read disappeared.
That reliability could become even more important this fall.
Maryland is replacing significant production at wide receiver while adjusting to new offensive coordinator Clint Trickett.
Transitions often elevate players who already understand the offense, and Fleming looks perfectly placed to become one of them.
Maryland’s biggest offseason priority was to renew the wide receiver room and replace the production that walked out the door.
Few transfers arrive with a better résumé than Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, who led the Old Dominion Monarchs in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches before making the move to College Park.
The opportunity for him to prove himself is enormous. But so is the challenge.
Big Ten cornerbacks close space faster, play with greater physicality, and punish even the smallest mistakes.
If Abdul-Rahim adapts quickly, Maryland suddenly has the proven No. 1 target its offense desperately needs.
OWAIN JONES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL & NFL DRAFT ANALYST
OWAIN jones COVERS EVERYTHING college football & NFL DRAFT. COMING WITH PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE, OWAIN was PREVIOUSLY a writer for pfsn and WAS THE NFL DRAFT EDITOR AT NINETY-NINE YARDS WHERE HE CREATED DRAFT TALK. YOU CAN FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @OwainJonesCFB