Four-star quarterback Malik Washington and his Archbishop Spalding teammate Jayden Shipps sported red Maryland hats as they announced their commitments to Maryland on a YouTube livestream in June.

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

Washington was one of 18 prospects to commit to Maryland this summer. Michael Locksley’s 2025 class raced up the national rankings to No. 23, according to 247Sports. The mark is 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 he wanted to “control the DMV” and keep local recruits. All six of the Terps’ four-star commits hail from Washington, D.C., Maryland or Virginia, while 15 of the 22 total commits are from the area

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

Locksley hired Washington, D.C., native Aazaar Abdul-Rahim as the co-defensive coordinator, associate head coach for defense and cornerbacks coach this off-season, noting his ties to the region as a recruiting tool. Abdul-Rahim attended Dunbar High School before he turned Friendship Collegiate Academy into a local powerhouse as its first head coach.

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

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

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The Terps next added Zymear Smith, who has experience playing 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 tallied 20 tackles with three interceptions, while adding two punt return touchdowns.

Interior offensive lineman Jaylen Gilchrist gave Maryland its highest-ranked commitment on Aug. 3. The No. 6 interior lineman in his class selected the Terps over competing offers from Georgia and South Carolina, the latter being heavily forecasted as the lineman’s landing spot.

Messiah Delhomme was the final four-star to commit during 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 lone four-star 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 247Sports’ composite ranking.

Howard pairs with three-star running back Bud Coombs to form a potentially strong duo in the backfield. Coombs, who also plans to play baseball at Maryland, is ranked the No. 23 player in Maryland after leading DeMatha to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game in 2023.