Maryland 2026 Preview
The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 138 college football team preview series with the Maryland Terrapins 2026 Season Preview. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the 2026 Maryland Terrapins roster and what to expect in the Big Ten this season. Can Mike Locksley cool off a 10-out-of-10 hot seat after a 4-8 season in which the Terps went 0-3 in one-score games? Is sophomore hometown-hero quarterback Malik Washington ready to run the show for new offensive coordinator Clint Trickett? And with 68 percent of the offense back, is there enough here to climb out of the Big Ten basement?
Can running back DeJuan Williams and a line built around Michael Hershey fix a ground game that finished 124th in the country last year? Will transfer receivers Na’eem Abdual-Rahim Gladding and Chris Durr Jr. give Washington the weapons he needs? Can freshman edge Zion Elee and a secondary led by Jamare Glasker and Dontay Joyner wake up a Ted Monachino defense that ranked 98th in total defense? What does a Saturday at SECU Stadium in College Park feel like when the students rush the field again? How does Maryland survive road trips to Ohio State, Nebraska and USC with Penn State still on the slate? And where’s the betting value on the Maryland Terrapins win total, Big Ten odds and College Football Playoff chances? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience.
Maryland Finished 4-8, And Three Close Losses Explain Why
Maryland finished 4-8 in 2025, and the record hides how close the season really was. The Terps went 0-3 in games decided by eight points or fewer. First, a 24-20 loss to Washington got away late. Then Nebraska escaped College Park 34-31. UCLA finished the trio with a 20-17 win. Flip two of those results and this is a bowl team. The offense carried more of the blame than the defense. It finished 95th in scoring, 124th in rushing and 87th in total offense, with only the pass game at 35th holding up its end. Because the defense ranked 77th in scoring, it kept games within reach that the offense could not finish.
Mike Locksley Is Coaching For His Job
Mike Locksley carries a 10-out-of-10 hot-seat rating on the show, and the record backs it up. He sits at 37-49 overall at Maryland and just 17-48 against Big Ten opponents. First, he has never beaten Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue or Iowa in his tenure. Then the Penn State record checks in at a brutal 1-6. He still owns the old ACC-era rivalries and beats Rutgers regularly. But Maryland left for the Big Ten to win games like these, not lose them. Because the program is barely on the rise, another losing season likely ends this era in College Park.
Clint Trickett And Malik Washington Try To Fix The Offense
Clint Trickett takes over as offensive coordinator, and his first job is protecting a young quarterback. Malik Washington, a hometown sophomore, returns as the face of this rebuild after his first season under center. First, running back DeJuan Williams and tight end Dorian Fleming give him a real supporting cast. Then an offensive line built around Michael Hershey, Rahtrel Perry and Isaiah Wright has to open bigger holes. Last year’s rushing attack ranked 124th and has to be better. Trickett also went shopping in the portal, adding receivers Na’eem Abdual-Rahim Gladding from Old Dominion and Chris Durr Jr. from Wyoming. Because 68 percent of the offense returns, Washington has more pieces around him than Trickett has experience calling plays.
Ted Monachino’s Defense Has To Carry More Weight
Ted Monachino returns as defensive coordinator with 74 percent of his production back. That continuity matters after a rough 2025. The unit finished 98th in total defense and 101st against the run. The scoring number at 77th was the more respectable of the two. First, linebackers Zahir Mathis, Trey Reddick and Sidney Stewart anchor the second level. Then a secondary of Jamare Glasker, Dontay Joyner and Lavain Scruggs returns with real experience intact. Maryland actually won on the recruiting trail here, landing edge Zion Elee, the No. 10 player at his position nationally. Because so much production returns, the pressure falls on Monachino now. Last year’s rankings need to be a floor, not a ceiling.
A Big Ten Slate That Offers Almost Nowhere To Hide
Maryland opens with Hampton and Virginia Tech at home before a road trip to UConn closes out the non-conference slate. After that, the Big Ten does what the Big Ten does to a rebuilding team. First, UCLA, Rutgers, Illinois, Wisconsin and Penn State all visit SECU Stadium in College Park this season. Then the road slate turns brutal with trips to Nebraska, Ohio State, Purdue and USC. There is no soft landing spot built into that stretch either. Because the home slate is winnable and the road slate is not, this schedule tells you plenty. It points almost exactly to where the win total should land.
Where’s The Bet On Maryland?
The number to circle is 5.5 wins. That is the market’s read on a team with a returning quarterback and a friendly enough home slate. It is balanced against a coach carrying the hottest seat in the Big Ten. First, the Terps are priced at plus 50000 to win the conference outright. Then the College Football Playoff number sits at plus 6000, which is the sportsbook’s polite way of saying don’t bother. Because the defense returns 74 percent of its production, there is a real path to six or seven wins. That path opens up if Trickett’s offense finally closes out those close games. The whole Maryland conversation lives on that 5.5. How you feel about it comes down to whether you trust this staff to get it done.
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Podcast Chapters
00:00 Download the SGPN App Today!
01:57 Show Intro And Maryland Terrapins 2026 Preview
03:24 Meet The Hosts
06:52 Big Ten Realignment And Lost Rivalries
09:45 2025 Season Recap: A 4-8 Disappointment
11:06 Mike Locksley Under The Microscope
24:35 New OC Clint Trickett And The Offense
31:16 Defense Outlook And DC Ted Monachino
33:49 SECU Stadium And Gameday In College Park
37:13 Maryland Legends: Bobby Ross To Stefon Diggs
41:35 Week-By-Week Schedule Predictions
50:14 Win Total, Ceiling And Floor
51:30 Wish-List Schedule: Virginia, West Virginia And Navy
53:49 Malik Washington’s Draft Future And Staff Plugs
55:49 Next Up: East Carolina, Colorado And New Mexico State
