Playing more freshmen than the rest of the Big Ten combined, Maryland 'draft' class powers 4-0 start

Mike Locksley didn't necessarily have confidence that so many members of Maryland's 2025 recruiting class would power the Terrapins' 4-0 start. 

"Confidence" would imply that he had a choice.

That's the reality after Maryland lost 32 players -- including eight starters -- to the transfer portal.

The Terrapins didn't have the NIL resources to keep departing veterans, nor the funds to land many proven players from the portal. So, Locksley leaned on what he calls the "draft": traditional high school recruiting.

"It was by necessity," Locksley said. "The days of developing and having time to develop players … it's more about bringing in players who have the ability to help out now."

And Maryland did just that.

Of the 21 players in the Terps' No. 25-ranked 2025 recruiting class, three are starters (QB Malik Washington, EDGE Sidney Stewart, EDGE Zahir Mathis). Two others (LB Carlton Smith, S Messiah Delhomme) have played starter-level snaps. In total, eight Maryland freshmen have logged 90-plus snaps.

That's the same number as the rest of the Big Ten combined heading into Saturday's matchup with Washington (3:30 p.m. ET), another Big Ten program playing multiple true freshmen this season. 

Predicting every undefeated college football team's first loss: Will anyone beat Ohio State, Oregon or Miami?

Brad Crawford

The man under center

No freshman has been more central than Washington.

The No. 5 quarterback in the 2025 class -- and a Maryland native who played high school football just 25 miles from College Park -- Washington has quickly emerged as one of the country's top underclassman passers. He's thrown for 1,038 yards and eight touchdowns against one interception. His 59.7% completion rate doesn't wow, but the Terps also have the highest drop percentage in the Power Four.

Behind Washington, Maryland is averaging 32.5 points per game, up from 23.7 a year ago. The Big Ten grind still lies ahead, but Washington's presence has already raised the program's ceiling -- on and off the field.

He committed in July 2024 but had been pitching for the program long before that, helping secure several of the Terps' biggest signees, including Mathis. The four-star EDGE wasn't even considering Maryland until the 2025 Under Armour All-America Bowl, when Washington reengaged him and connected him with Terps coaches. Mathis has since posted four TFLs and 2.5 sacks in his first month on campus.

"Having done this for 17 seasons on this campus, he's had the effect I've seen from guys like Stefon Diggs, Rakim Jarrett, Shawne Merriman and Vernon Davis had as a local guy who could have gone anywhere and made the decision to stay and build it," Locksley said.

A local flavor

High-profile signees like Washington and Mathis draw the spotlight, but Locksley believes the class worked because of how he and his staff evaluate.

He annually aims for 60–70% of high school signees to come from within a four-hour radius of College Park. The DMV is one of the richest talent pools in the country, and Locksley's deep ties in the region give Maryland an edge. The Terps track local players closely, often bringing them to campus for camps as early as eighth grade.

That pipeline produced Stewart, one of the biggest early surprises in the class. The 6-foot-2, 255-pound Maryland native leads all freshmen nationally with four sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss. Despite his current production, he was ranked just the No. 102 EDGE in the 2025 class.

Locksley had known Stewart's family for years. His uncle Larry played in the NBA. His father, Stephen, is a Hall of Famer and assistant coach at Coppin State. His cousin, Derik, is a recent first-round pick of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Stewart missed his senior season at Concordia Prep due to an eligibility issue, but one look at his junior-year tape was enough for Locksley.

"The first time I put his tape on during his 11th-grade season, he had one of those tapes where if your wife says he should be on scholarship, then it shows you the talent he has," Locksley said. "I thought he was undervalued."

Stewart, Washington and 13 other members of the class grew up in the DMV. Together, they formed a "2025 Terps" group chat and agreed to stay home to build something.

"It was a collective decision," Washington said. "If we all stay home, we can do this together and show people."

Added Stewart: "For me, it was disappointing that I never grew up a Maryland fan, and I think that's partly my fault. But it's also because we weren't able to generate real pride in Maryland football. Maybe that's because we didn't recruit enough in the area. I think guys being from here makes people back home happy. I just hope we can continue to build off it, because it's clearly shown to be successful."

A developmental system

Maryland isn't relying solely on youth. Four upperclassmen start on the offensive line. But with so many freshmen on the field, Locksley wanted teachers as much as tacticians on staff. He hired OC Pep Hamilton and DC Ted Monachino, both with decades of NFL experience.

"In the pro system they're used to getting players to be able to play now," Locksley said. "We're at that point in college football."

Locksley doesn't expect many programs to copy his approach. Plundering the portal is simpler than betting on freshmen. And, as he's quick to point out, few former Terps are thriving elsewhere.

Maryland's financial situation is also improving. The Terps were never flush with NIL, but the new revenue-sharing model has leveled the playing field somewhat.

"The revenue share, the way it is, it's been great for Maryland," Locksley said.

Still, he won't chase portal stars at all costs. Like in the NFL, he views high school signees as rookies on manageable deals.

"They come a little cheaper than the guys in the portal, where we're dealing with funny money sometimes," Locksley said. "These guys, where they're unproven, you get them at a reduced rate. Once they've established themselves you pay them what they've brought to the table. It allowed us to get some high-priced players at a price that fit into our budget this year."

The challenge now is keeping them.

October, November -- and maybe December -- will define the 2025 season. After that comes the test of holding onto the young core Locksley just signed.

For now, though, the 2025 class is buying in.

"We're bringing in championship-level talent, 100%," Stewart said. "We all have the same vision and the same plan. … I think we have a really cool opportunity to not just win, but to build a culture that's everlasting. I think that'll help us stick together and keep growing as a team."