By Courtney Corcoran
The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area— which includes suburban Maryland and Virginia— has long been packed with highly talented high school athletes, most of whom move away for college. However, according to 247sports, an increasing number of student-athletes are staying local and attending the region’s biggest sports college, the University of Maryland.
UMD’s 2026 recruiting class includes some of the best recruits from local high schools across all sports, including Olympic gold medalist Quincy Wilson, the nation’s No. 1 lacrosse player Cayden Reese and many five-star rated players such as Zion Elee and Jordyn Jackson.
“There is a lot of real good local talent staying home here in Maryland,” Maryland athletic director Jim Smith said during a radio interview with 105.7 The Fan on Dec. 5.
Smith added that it’s no accident that more recruits are from the region, as it has been a goal to build Maryland as a destination for DMV athletes.
“We’ve had a really good run of keeping the best of the DMV to stay at home,” he said during the interview.
One of the highest-profile local recruits, Quincy Wilson, is the youngest athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in 2024 on the 4x400m relay team. He recently committed to Maryland to continue his track career.
Wilson, originally from Gaithersburg, is expected to bring national attention to UMD’s track program.
On his YouTube channel, Wilson announced his commitment to Maryland.
“It’s close to home, there’s nothing like being close to my family,” he said in the video.
According to Sports Illustrated, Wilson is expected to be a major contender in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I’m ready to have the whole city behind me, and I’m ready to do it for the University of Maryland,” he said.
UMD football head coach Mike Locksley recently signed a contract extension through the 2026 season. Maryland Athletics has also expanded its financial support for recruiting and athlete resources, including more NIL opportunities that allow the program to compete for top talent.
Maryland quarterback Malik Washington of Glen Burnie said Locksley has a way of making personal connections that attract players to the program.
“We’ve built this relationship over a lot of years, and coach is a great guy who has a special way of connecting with his players,” Washington said.
Five-Star athlete, Zion Elee of Baltimore, is the highest-rated football player to ever sign with the Terps. He attends St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, a school known for its powerhouse football program, and signed with UMD on Dec. 3.
Maryland football wide receiver Sean Williams, a junior from Washington, D.C., said choosing UMD was an easy decision. He arrived on campus in 2022 as part of Maryland’s recruiting class that year.
“It was really easy for my family to help me choose out of all the schools, and then the coaching staff being really friendly,” Williams said.
This year, the Terps football program has signed 16 student-athletes, 10 of whom are from the DMV area.
“I’m excited to play with the young guys and bring some good young talent to the team,” Williams said, looking ahead to next football season.
Baba Oladotun of Silver Spring is also joining the UMD men’s basketball program next season. Oladotun is currently a senior at James Hubert Blake High School in Montgomery County.
Maryland women’s lacrosse signed the No. 1 player in the nation, Cayden Reese of Glenelg.
Jordyn Jackson of Washington, D.C., is the No. 7-ranked player in the nation and will be joining the women’s basketball team for its next season.
15 of 24 players on the women’s soccer team are from the DMV area.
Kelsey Smith, a senior from Elkridge and captain of the women’s soccer team, just finished her last season with the Terps.
She said that being able to represent her home state means everything to her.
“I take a lot of pride in wearing Maryland across my chest,” Smith said. “I loved my four years and the experiences and opportunities that it brought me.”
Featured Image: Press box at Ludwig Field on Dec. 10, 2025. Photo by Courtney Corcoran.