Maryland Football Scoop: What's the vibe? | QB situation | Four-star recruit flip?
If ever Maryland needed a bounce-back win, Saturday is the day. The Terps, coming off a disappointing first half punctuated by that hideous 37-10 home loss to Northwestern, are in desperate need of a win when USC visits SECU Stadium on Saturday. What's the latest inside the program? What about a four-star flip?
If ever Maryland football needed a bounce-back win, Saturday is the day. The Terps, coming off a disappointing first half of the season punctuated by that hideous 37-10 home loss to Northwestern, are in desperate need of a win when USC visits SECU Stadium on Saturday. What's the latest inside the program? Which four-star are the Terps focused on flipping? Here's the latest IMS scoop ...
It's always difficult to gauge the mood and commitment level of players and coaches inside of a program in dire situations like this, especially when you're not in the meeting rooms. And sometimes, even those in the building get an inaccurate vibe. I've had sources say players and coaches are dialed in and fully motivated right before the team has looked half-interested en route to a blowout loss. The short version of that disclaimer: it's almost impossible to predict how hard a team will keep fighting in the face of this sort of adversity. Maryland's players didn't appear to be playing with their hair on fire in that Northwestern loss.
That said, I'm told they haven't showed signs of quitting.
"Far more than not are still in. Very few checkouts," a source said.
It helps that Maryland, like a lot of programs, has adopted the strategy of making the final NIL payouts after the final game. That motivation can prevent players from mailing it in, opting out of games or hitting the portal.
What's the mood in the building?
"Up and down. Tense, but not panicky."
One thing is certain: Mike Locksley isn't considering a quarterback change. He's been happy the performance of Billy Edwards. His lofty stats took a dive with that 28-for-51, zero touchdown, one-interception performance against Northwestern, but they're still good. He's completing 63.5 percent of his attempts for , 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. His 1,740 passing yards rank 14th nationally. He's played well enough that there's concern he'll be a hot commodity in the portal after this season, which could lead to that rare story line of a true freshman starting at quarterback in Malik Washington, who recently climbed to elite territory in the 247Sports 2025 recruiting rankings.
He'd have to beat out veterans Cam Edge and MJ Morris, so it would be far from a foregone conclusion. but he is viewed as the future of the program. But it's way early for the conversation.
Despite Maryland's struggles, there remains confident that the Terps will flip multiple key targets. They're working on many of the familiar local names, but I'm told one of their top priorities is Matthew Outten, the four-star receiver from Portsmouth, Va., who flipped from Virginia Tech to Penn State in early September. he'll be one to keep an eye on when signing day draws closer.
