COLLEGE PARK — At the end of Maryland football’s pregame warmups, the offense surrounded Malik Washington. A freshman leading a pregame huddle in college football is rare — but so is Washington and the Terps’ situation.
On a team with an almost entirely new starting offense, the fact that Maryland looked to Washington for leadership speaks volumes. He’s the starting quarterback, but he’s also a freshman who is only 19 years old.
But by all accounts, Washington isn’t a typical teenager. He was superb in his college debut, passing for 258 yards and three touchdowns in Maryland’s 39-7 win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday afternoon at SECU Stadium.
“It’s a calmness about his demeanor. He’s a little older than his years,” coach Michael Locksley said. “I think we are starting to see the makings of what could be a very good quarterback.”
Washington became the first Power Conference freshman quarterback to throw three touchdown passes in a season opener since Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence in 2018. He’s also the first freshman to start at quarterback for the Terps since they joined the Big Ten.
The decision to start Washington was a gamble. Locksley needs a winning season after a disastrous 4-8 campaign last year. Coaches often shy away from young players in those situations, choosing to rely on veterans who tend to make fewer mistakes.
But Locksley maintained the same stance throughout the offseason: He’s not afraid to play a freshman quarterback. And if Washington was the best option, he was going to start, Locksley said.
The Spalding graduate impressed throughout the offseason, limiting the mistakes that freshman quarterbacks typically make. He beat out UCLA transfer Justyn Martin and fellow freshman Khristian Martin for the job. After entering in relief of Washington, Justyn Martin suffered a lower body injury and was unable to put any weight on his left leg as he was carried off the field by teammates in the fourth quarter. Khristian Martin took over and finished 1 for 4 for 10 yards.
The Terps also lost freshman offensive lineman Jaylen Gilchrist, who was carted off the field after being rolled up on while pass blocking late in the fourth quarter. The former four-star recruit went down in visible pain and had his left leg put in an air cast after being attended to by trainers.
Meanwhile, Washington’s maturity was apparent Saturday. He took the checkdowns when they were available, often in the face of pressure. After starting the game 3-for-11 for 19 yards, he finished with a 63% completion rate.
“Started off a little slow but as I felt myself get into the game, got them first hits out, after that I was rolling,” Washington said. “I feel like anybody feels good after their first [touchdown].”
He displayed his arm talent, launching a deep touchdown pass to Tennessee transfer Kaleb Webb and finding open receivers underneath when the pocket collapsed. Perhaps most impressively, he didn’t take a sack or commit a turnover.
That’s not typical for a first-year player.
Locksley desperately needed to show fans why they should remain confident in the program. Last season was disappointing not only because of the record. The Terps were among the most penalized teams in the Big Ten, lost to two first-year coaches and were blown out by ranked opponents.
Washington is a building block Locksley can point to. While not every opponent will be the same caliber as Florida Atlantic (3-9 last season, allowing more than 33 points per game), the freshman quarterback should improve throughout the season.
He wasn’t the only first-year player who starred Saturday. Freshman edge rushers Zahir Mathis and Sidney Stewart both made impact plays that led to scores. Mathis, the No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania, deflected a pass from Caden Veltkamp that turned into a pick-six for Maryland’s first score. Stewart later flew in unblocked to record a safety for the Terps.
Stewart said that he almost started crying after Mathis forced the interception.
“All the freshman, everybody in this class can ball. We do this in practice, so really nothing new,” Stewart said.
Maryland needs its young players to emerge quickly this season. It’s one of the least experienced teams in the country, returning only four starters.
“We drove a young school bus right into the big leagues and responded the right way,” Locksley said.
With a team this young, the Terps are destined to experience significant growing pains. A soft nonconference schedule allows for an easier transition. But if Washington’s play resembles how he looked in the season opener, fans can look at him as a beacon of hope for the program.
Late in the third quarter, with Maryland up 36-7, Washington’s third-down pass fell incomplete. The ball was slightly behind the receiver and late.
Washington’s reaction was telling. He smacked his hands together in frustration and tapped his chest, as if to say, “That’s on me.”
Other than that, his debut couldn’t have gone much better.
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