By Cam Crossett

Maryland Football will open the 2026 season with new players and team chemistry, hoping to rebound after back-to-back losing seasons. 

Coach Michael Locksley, however, isn’t interested in reflecting on prior seasons. 

“Nothing from our past will dictate our future,” Locksley said during his season-opening press conference Tuesday. 

This season, one of the biggest reasons for optimism inside the program is the team’s chemistry. Locksley described this year’s group as one of the most connected teams he’s ever been around, crediting the coaching staff’s consistency throughout the spring and summer. 

“Our coaches have done a really good job, not just this summer, but throughout the spring, of sticking to the vision that we set for how we had to get this team prepared for an important season,” Locksley said. 

Building that connection has become especially important in the modern college football landscape, where transfers and NIL opportunities can quickly reshape rosters. Locksley acknowledged that reality, saying he realized several years ago that college football had become increasingly transactional. 

Rather than fighting that reality, Locksley said Maryland has focused on relationships, trust and player development.

“I thought the way we’ve kind of anchored ourselves and our philosophy of building it, recruiting the talent level of high school players in the DMV, the Tidewater, Chesapeake, Jersey, mid-Atlantic Seaboard, has been really good to us,” Locksley said. 

That philosophy also applies to expectations for this season. While Maryland has a clear goal of improving on two consecutive 4-8 finishes, Locksley said he isn’t concerned with making predictions about the team’s final record. 

“That’s too big of a picture for me to worry about. I’m more concerned about week one,” he said. 

For Locksley, establishing the standards he wants the team to carry into the season and developing team chemistry came from a period of uninterrupted preparation. Maryland worked to eliminate distractions during camp and focus entirely on football before the academic year began. 

“It starts with training camp. It’s the one time with this generation of athletes where we’re coming out of a 30-day period where we’ve done football 24/7,” Locksley said.

Now, that preparation will get put to the test. The Terps will open their season Saturday against Hampton, marking their first opportunity to turn weeks of preparation into game-day results. 

Maryland also enters the season with increased competition at several positions, giving new players opportunities to establish themselves within the team. The running back room has impressed Locksley, with sophomore Iverson Howard making strides and University of Southern California transfer Harry Dalton III providing versatility. 

The secondary has also added depth, including spring enrollees Darrell Carey, Zahir Cobb and Boston College transfer Amari Jackson. 

“To me that’s probably the best thing that’s happened – that we have competition at a lot of different positions that really make us better,” Locksley said.

With new faces competing for roles across the roster, Locksley said the depth has helped strengthen the team as players build trust and relationships with one another. 

Around campus, expectations are more divided. 

Junior journalism major Holden Anderson isn’t ready to make a bold prediction after watching Maryland endure back-to-back losing seasons. 

He expressed confidence in Maryland’s defense and sophomore quarterback Malik Washington, as well as excitement about the arrival of linebacker Zion Elee, but said he remains skeptical of Locksley and the coaching staff. 

Anderson said Saturday’s opener against Hampton can provide an important starting point. 

“I’m hoping to get a big win and provide some confidence for the team and the fans,” he said. 

For junior computer and information sciences major Dorian Mkam, last season’s strong start makes this year’s opener especially important. During the 2025 season, Maryland won its first four games,  but the momentum disappeared following an eight-game losing streak.

“I saw a very strong start last season, and I honestly hope that this season we get that same strong start, and we actually follow through with the start that we originally had last season,” he said. 

Mkam believes avoiding another collapse will require the players to maintain their mentality throughout the season.

“Once you start getting a lot of wins, you get more complacent,” he said. “If the players understand that we have a long season ahead of us, then we can easily make it out.”

Mkam is also eager to see how Maryland’s new additions affect the team, particularly Washington. 

“I’m looking forward to our new additions. I’m honestly looking forward to seeing what our quarterback is really [going to do],” Mkam said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what our receivers can produce, and I’m just looking forward to seeing us win.”

Featured Image: The bleachers at SECU Stadium on Oct. 8, 2025. Photo by Ella Buchanan.