Blog Article

MARYLAND FOOTBALL 2025 PREVIEW: LOCKSLEY’S PIVOTAL SEASON

Mark Haines on May 22, 2025

Mike Locksley is officially on the hot seat.

After a disastrous 4-8 season in 2024, Maryland’s head coach enters the most pivotal year of his career with everything on the line. The program stands at a crossroads that could determine the next half-decade of Terps football.

But here’s the crazy part: despite last year’s collapse, all the ingredients for a dramatic turnaround are sitting right there on the table:

  • A shockingly favorable 2025 schedule (no Ohio State, Penn State, or Oregon)
  • An aggressive transfer portal haul addresses immediate needs
  • One of the program’s strongest recruiting classes in recent memory
  • New coordinator hires bringing legitimate NFL coaching pedigree

The question isn’t whether Maryland has the pieces to turn things around. The question is whether they can execute when it matters most.

Let’s Talk About What Went Horribly Wrong in 2024

Maryland’s 2024 season was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The Terps kicked things off looking like legitimate Big Ten contenders, rattling off three non-conference victories against UConn, Virginia, and Villanova.

Then came conference play, and the implosion was breathtaking:

  • A single Big Ten win (a narrow USC upset) against seven losses
  • Most conference defeats coming by double-digit margins
  • A humiliating 44-7 season-ending beatdown at Penn State

What made 2024 so frustrating was that Maryland actually excelled in one crucial area: the passing game. The Terps’ aerial attack ranked 13th nationally (275.7 yards per game), with Tai Felton emerging as a legitimate #1 receiver (1,124 yards, 9 TDs).

But this success masked fatal flaws that doomed the season:

  • A non-existent rushing attack (110.6 yards per game, 112th nationally)
  • A defense that leaked points (30.4 per game)
  • An inability to pressure opposing QBs (131st of 134 FBS teams in sack rate)
  • Turnover issues (-3 margin, 102nd nationally)

The result? Maryland’s worst record since 2019, and Locksley’s seat is heating to near-combustible levels.

The Great Roster Reset Is Unprecedented

The aftermath of 2024 triggered a mass exodus unlike anything we’ve seen in College Park.

Twenty-one players fled to the transfer portal—one of the highest totals in the country. Think about that. Nearly two dozen scholarship athletes decided they’d rather play football anywhere else than return to Maryland.

Key departures included:

  • Starting QB Billy Edwards Jr.
  • RB Roman Hemby
  • WRs Kaden Prather and Tai Felton
  • LB Kellan Wyatt

But instead of wallowing, Locksley made his career’s most aggressive portal moves. He brought in 16+ transfers targeting immediate needs:

  • QB Room Reconstruction: Justyn Martin (UCLA) and MJ Morris (Coastal Carolina)
  • New Receiving Corps: Jalil Farooq (Oklahoma), Kaleb Webb (Tennessee), Jordan Scott (Florida State)
  • O-Line Reinforcements: Multiple additions including Carlos Moore Jr. (Elon), Marcus Dumervil (Arkansas)
  • Defensive Upgrades: Joel Starlings (North Carolina), Sedrick Smith (Alabama A&M)

This isn’t just tweaking the roster. This is a complete teardown and rebuild in a single offseason.

“As I’ve learned with the new landscape we’re in, you don’t have time to develop,” Locksley admitted at spring media day, officially abandoning his previous “developmental program” philosophy.

Translation: Win now or clean out your office.

Recruiting Is Somehow Red-Hot Despite the On-Field Disaster

Here’s the weirdest part of the Maryland football story.

Despite the program seemingly crumbling on the field, Locksley still wins major recruiting battles. The 2025 class ranks 25th nationally—incredibly impressive for a team that just went 4-8.

Two blue-chip recruits stand out as potential immediate difference-makers:

  1. Malik Washington (QB): The 6’4″, 215-pound Archbishop Spalding product is the 54th-ranked recruit nationally. With a cannon arm and dual-threat capabilities, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him under center in Week 1.
  2. Zahir Mathis (EDGE): The biggest recruiting win of Locksley’s career. The former Ohio State commit chose Maryland on National Signing Day, giving the Terps a 6’6″ edge rusher with a wingspan approaching 6’10”.

The 2025 class includes seven ESPN 300 players—the most in program history—and Maryland locked down 14 in-state prospects.

The talent pipeline hasn’t dried up. If anything, it’s flowing stronger than ever, creating a bizarre disconnect between recruiting rankings and on-field results.

This recruiting momentum offers Locksley a compelling argument for keeping his job: “I’m still bringing in the talent to turn this around.”

The 2025 Schedule Is a Gift from the Football Gods

If you were designing a bounce-back schedule for a coach on the hot seat, it would look exactly like Maryland’s 2025 slate.

Non-Conference (3 games):

  • Aug. 30: vs. Florida Atlantic
  • Sept. 6: vs. Northern Illinois
  • Sept. 13: vs. Towson

Big Ten (9 games):

  • Sept. 20: at Wisconsin
  • Oct. 4: vs. Washington
  • Oct. 11: vs. Nebraska
  • Oct. 18: at UCLA
  • Nov. 1: vs. Indiana
  • Nov. 8: at Rutgers
  • Nov. 15: at Illinois
  • Nov. 22: vs. Michigan
  • Nov. 29: at Michigan State

The schedule gods blessed Maryland with:

  • No Ohio State
  • No Penn State
  • No Oregon
  • No USC
  • Three extremely winnable non-conference home games
  • Multiple winnable Big Ten matchups (Rutgers, Illinois, Indiana)

Let’s be clear: if Maryland doesn’t reach bowl eligibility with this schedule, Locksley will update his resume on December 1st.

The path to six wins is right there. The opening non-conference stretch should yield three victories. After that, the Terps need three conference wins from games against Indiana, Rutgers, Illinois, and Michigan State.

This isn’t just a favorable schedule. It’s a lifeline thrown to a drowning program.

The QB Battle Will Define Everything

The most fascinating storyline of Maryland’s 2025 season is unfolding right now.

After losing their top three quarterbacks to the transfer portal, the Terps will feature a QB competition between two players who’ve barely seen collegiate action:

  1. Justyn Martin – The UCLA transfer brings the pedigree of a Power 5 program but has just one career start.
  2. Malik Washington – The true freshman phenom arrives with sky-high expectations as the 54th-ranked recruit nationally.

New offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton (who has coached Justin Herbert, C.J. Stroud, and Andrew Luck in the NFL) will make the final call. He’s already raving about Washington’s “elite traits” and “photographic memory,” which suggests the freshman has a legitimate shot at starting from Day 1.

Don’t underestimate what getting the quarterback position right would mean for this program. Maryland’s passing game was already among the top-15 nationally last year, but its quarterback play was inconsistent. With the right signal-caller, this offense could explode.

Whether it’s Martin’s experience or Washington’s raw talent, the winner of this competition inherits an offense that can move the ball effectively with competent leadership.

The NFL-ification of Maryland’s Coaching Staff

Locksley is making one final, bold bet: bringing NFL coaching expertise to College Park.

He’s completely revamped his staff with a focus on professional pedigree, particularly with his two new coordinators, who bring a combined 31 years of NFL coaching experience:

  • Offensive Coordinator Pep Hamilton: Developed NFL QBs Justin Herbert, C.J. Stroud, and Andrew Luck
  • Defensive Coordinator Ted Monachino: Extensive pro coaching background, including with the Baltimore Ravens

This pivot toward an NFL coaching model makes perfect sense for two reasons:

  1. It’s a direct response to the transfer portal era—players want coaches who can prepare them for the pros
  2. It signals to recruits that Maryland is committed to development at the highest level

It’s also a calculated gamble that more experienced, professionally-oriented coaches can accelerate player development fast enough to save Locksley’s job.

“The whining and complaining [about the new era of college sports], those are excuses,” inside linebackers coach Zac Spavital said this spring, summarizing the staff’s no-nonsense approach.

Let’s Talk About That Flaming Hot Seat

There’s no way to sugarcoat this.

Mike Locksley enters 2025 with his coaching future hanging by a thread. After posting a 4-8 record in 2024, multiple national outlets have identified him as one of the coaches most likely to get fired if results don’t improve dramatically.

The stats tell a damning story:

  • 33-41 overall record at Maryland
  • Zero finishes in the Big Ten top half
  • A disastrous regression after back-to-back bowl seasons

USA Today recently ranked Locksley 16th among Big Ten coaches, noting that last season’s “4-8 finish was a major step back after Maryland had made three bowl games in a row.”

The prevailing consensus among college football insiders? Maryland needs at least 7-8 wins in 2025 for Locksley to keep his job.

Currently in the seventh year of his contract (which runs through 2026), Locksley’s recruiting prowess has bought him time. But at some point, recruiting rankings need to translate to wins, and that point is now.

So What Actually Happens in 2025?

Projections for Maryland’s season break down into three distinct camps:

The Optimists: Some believe an eight-win season is genuinely attainable given:

  • The favorable schedule
  • The talent influx through recruiting
  • The transfer portal reinforcements
  • The upgraded coaching staff

The Pessimists: Others warn that even with the softer schedule, another sub-.500 season remains possible if:

  • The quarterback situation doesn’t stabilize
  • The defense continues its struggles
  • The roster overhaul creates chemistry issues
  • The coaching changes don’t translate to immediate improvement

The Realists: Most early previews peg Maryland for a 6-6 season with the potential to reach 7-5 if they win their toss-up games.

For the Terps to exceed these modest expectations, four things must happen:

  1. The transfer haul must make an immediate impact
  2. Either Martin or Washington must provide stability at quarterback
  3. The defense (particularly the pass rush) must show dramatic improvement
  4. Maryland must capitalize on its favorable non-conference slate

The 2025 season is Locksley’s last stand.

He’s abandoned his “The Best is Ahead” slogan in favor of a “win now” approach that acknowledges the moment’s urgency. With a favorable schedule, improved talent, and a coaching staff built for immediate results, the opportunity for a breakthrough exists.

The only question is whether Maryland can finally deliver when it matters most.

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