Coach Michael Locksley secured his most important player for 2026.

ESPN announced Saturday night that freshman quarterback Malik Washington will return to Maryland football next season, ending any transfer speculation. He tossed 2,963 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions on a Big Ten-high 473 attempts this season. He also led the Terps with four rushing touchdowns.

Washington was at Xfinity Center for Maryland’s men’s basketball game against No. 2 Michigan when the news dropped. He roamed the court and held up a heart sign to a cheering crowd as his return was announced on the public address system. Locksley was also in attendance and met with boos.

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“Malik is a Terp through and through and I’m thrilled he’s coming back to lead this football team,” Locksley said via press release. “He means so much to this area and this area means so much to him. What we saw from Malik this past season is only the tip of the iceberg. He has such a bright future and he’s already started putting the work in towards the 2026 season.”

The Glen Burnie native ran for 164 yards in a Nov. 8 loss to Rutgers and threw for 459 yards in the Terps’ finale against Michigan State — the second-most single-game rushing and passing yards by a quarterback in program history, respectively. He threw for more than 200 yards in 11 of 12 games.

“It was a tough season, but I’m in it for the long run,” Washington told The Baltimore Sun. “This is the place I want to be.”

Much around Washington still needs to improve after consecutive 4-8 finishes.

[Major questions loom over Maryland football after another disappointing season]

The Terps’ three leading receivers — Shaleak Knotts, Octavian Smith Jr. and Jalil Farooq — all graduate. Tight end Dorian Fleming is likely to return but had only two games with more than 50 receiving yards. Running backs DeJuan Williams and Nolan Ray could come back after being part of a rushing attack that notched the second-fewest rushing yards in the Big Ten.

Maryland’s defense allowed 39.4 points a game in five November contests. Freshman defensive linemen Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis led the team in sacks — retaining them to pair alongside incoming five-star Zion Elee is vital for Locksley.

The coach should be able to hone in on them now that his quarterback is on board for next season. Now with a year under his belt, Washington carries higher expectations to elevate Maryland in 2026.