Malik Washington arrived at the University of Maryland before the 2025 season as a prized recruit, and then exceeded expectations by setting the school’s freshman passing record. On Saturday, Washington and Maryland announced that he had agreed to a deal to stick with the program and return for the 2026 season. It’s a huge win for Maryland, and also a sign of the times in college athletics. Washington’s success as a freshman, as well as the current state of college football with the transfer portal and NIL deals dominating everything, made him a prime candidate to be targeted by a bigger program this offseason. It might not be popular with traditional college football fans (or coaches), but it is the way of the world in the NCAA right now and something that everybody is going to have to get used to. But the fact that Washington, a Maryland native, is sticking it out with the Terrapins for at least another year has to fill the program with optimism going into 2026. Said Washington in a statement released by
