Maryland football is landing a plethora of four-star recruits

Four-star quarterback Malik Washington and his Archbishop Spalding teammate Jayden Shipps wore red Maryland caps when they announced their commitment to Maryland via a YouTube livestream in June.

A little over an hour later, Washington responded to an old fan joke on X, formerly Twitter. Washington’s response became Maryland football’s unofficial motto all summer: #freegrandma. With each new commitment, Washington and Maryland fans filled social media with the hashtag.

#freegrandma https://t.co/QezyQRExtL

—malik washington (@malikw2025) June 28, 2024

Washington was one of 18 prospects to commit to Maryland this summer. Michael Locksley’s 2025 class jumped to No. 23 nationally, according to 247Sports. It’s Locksley’s second-best class since he became head coach in 2019. The Terps added six four-star recruits, the most in Locksley’s tenure.

Locksley said at his introductory press conference in 2019 that he wanted to “control” the DMV and retain local recruits. All six of the Terps’ four-star commits come from Washington, D.C., Maryland or Virginia, while 15 of the 22 total commits come from the region

(Maryland women’s soccer team can’t hold on to lead, draws 2-2 against Stony Brook)

“If we can get to the point where we can control the DMV, we probably don’t have to go that far,” Locksley said in his opening press conference. “I’m hoping that we can continue to take ownership here in the DMV and get some of these top players to buy into the vision that we’ve set.”

Locksley hired Washington, D.C. native Aazaar Abdul-Rahim as co-defensive coordinator, associate head coach of defense and cornerbacks coach this offseason, citing his ties to the area as a recruiting tool. Abdul-Rahim attended Dunbar High School before building Friendship Collegiate Academy into a local powerhouse as his first head coach.

“It’s one thing to be from here, but to really understand the lifestyle that the fabric of a DMV man represents, that’s what Aazaar is,” Locksley said Saturday. “This area is really important to us and the players that come from here to give them a chance to change the lineage of their families.”

Following Washington’s commitment, the Terps brought in four more four-stars. Defensive lineman Bryce Jenkins, the No. 4 recruit in Washington, D.C., committed the following Saturday.

(I faced a Maryland football player in EA Sports College Football 25)

The Terps then added Zymear Smith, who has experience as a running back and cornerback. Smith rushed 71 times for 609 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, while also catching nine passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns. On defense, he had 20 tackles with three interceptions, while adding two punt return touchdowns.

Interior offensive tackle Jaylen Gilchrist gave Maryland his highest-rated commitment on Aug. 3. The No. 6 overall pick in his class, the interior player chose the Terps over competing offers from Georgia and South Carolina, with the latter heavily projected as the player’s destination.

Messiah Delhomme was the latest four-star to commit over the summer after playing running back, wide receiver and defensive back at Warwick High School in Virginia. Delhomme is the Terps’ second-highest-rated recruit in the class, ahead of Washington at No. 3.

Iverson Howard was the only four-star player to commit to Maryland before Washington’s decision. The Quince Orchard running back averaged 11.9 yards per carry with seven rushing touchdowns in 2023. Howard is the No. 11-ranked recruit in Maryland, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Howard pairs with three-star running back Bud Coombs for a potentially powerful duo in the backfield. Coombs, who also plans to play baseball at Maryland, is ranked 23rd in Maryland after leading DeMatha to the 2023 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game.