Maryland Football Recruiting: Maryland football’s recent rise in recruiting rankings fueled by Spalding pipeline

4-star QB Malik Washington and two of his Spalding teammates bolster Terps’ Class of 2025 recruits

Following recent decisions by Archbishop Spalding football players Malik Washington, Jayden Shipps, and Delmar White to join their four former teammates at Maryland, there’s a running joke among the Cavaliers that the program could be renamed “The University of Spalding.”

“It’s funny,” Washington said with a smile. “It’s a good little joke. With [junior linebacker] Kellan [Wyatt], [redshirt sophomore defensive back] Lavain [Scruggs], and [freshman linebacker twins] Keyshawn and Keion [Flowers] there, we have at least one or two dudes in every class. So, they’re not wrong.”

Washington, Shipps, and White are part of Maryland’s 20-member Class of 2025, which has significantly improved the Terps’ recruiting rankings. As of last week, their class had risen from No. 30 to No. 24 nationally, according to 247Sports. Despite being ranked No. 9 in the newly expanded 18-team Big Ten Conference, they’ve performed impressively, noted 247Sports college football recruiting analyst Allen Trieu.

“Maryland has done a really good job of leveraging summer officials and securing commitments,” Trieu said. “When you look at the class, there have been many additions in June and July. They have significant momentum right now, which indicates they’ve made a strong impression on recruits, their families, and their coaches. It’s one thing to schedule officials, but it’s another to make those visits such a positive experience that the kids want to commit afterward. The class has grown tremendously in rankings over the last few weeks.”

While three-star prospects Shipps (cornerback) and White (defensive tackle) solidify the class, Washington is the linchpin. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound quarterback amassed 2,930 passing yards, 21 touchdown passes, 225 rushing yards, and six touchdown runs last fall, leading Archbishop Spalding (10-2) to its second straight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title and a No. 2 ranking in The Baltimore Sun’s final poll.

As a starting forward, Washington also contributed to the Cavaliers’ runs to the MIAA A Conference and Baltimore Catholic League championship games and was named The Sun’s 2023-24 high school boys Athlete of the Year on June 26. Later that day, he announced his commitment to the Terps over Virginia Tech, Syracuse, and Central Florida.

One of four four-star recruits in the Class of 2025, Washington dismissed concerns about outside expectations.

“I don’t really think of it as pressure,” he said. “I just see it as people starting to pay attention to us, the DMV area. After me, Jayden, and Delmar committed, some local players reached out, asking, ‘What are you all trying to do?’ I’m trying to make this class special and leave our legacy.”

Washington, Shipps, and White are part of a growing trend of players from Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. choosing to stay close to home. Baltimore-area players like Mervo wide receiver Justin DeVaughn, Milford Mill offensive lineman Amory Hills, Concordia Prep defensive end Sidney Stewart, and Calvert Hall tight end JT Taggart, along with five other players from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, have also committed to Maryland.

Terps football and basketball broadcaster Johnny Holliday mentioned that coach Mike Locksley aims to keep local talent from leaving for NIL deals offered by rivals like Penn State, Ohio State, and Virginia. Decisions by Washington and four-star defensive lineman Bryce Jenkins could influence others to follow suit, Holliday said.

“Other schools will see these kids and think, ‘Wait a minute, look at how good they are. They could have gone anywhere,’” he said, shifting focus to Washington. “When you consider the program and think, ‘Look at what this kid is going to do,’ you might start to wonder, ‘Maybe I should consider Maryland. Why go to Penn State, get promised all these things, and end up on the bench when I can play at Maryland and perform in front of my family and friends?’ Washington is essentially saying, ‘Look at what we’re building here. Follow me, and we can elevate this program to the next level.’”

More Spalding players might join Maryland, as defensive back Sean Johnson has also received an offer. The pipeline between the two schools results from the relationship built by Locksley and Cavaliers coach Kyle Schmidt, who started 27 games at center and guard under former Terps coach Ralph Friedgen and served as a graduate assistant with the program in 2007 and 2008.

Schmidt, who supports his players’ ambitions to play wherever they choose, noted that he and Locksley share a similar approach to player development.

“He has said, ‘Your guys are about football, and Maryland guys are about football,’” Schmidt explained. “We handle commitment messages and such, but there’s not a lot of fluff here. We don’t spend time constantly praising them. There’s a lot of honesty in our program, and Coach Locksley has been clear about wanting similar kids.”

Whether the new recruits can change the Terps’ fortunes remains to be seen. They have yet to achieve a .500 record in the Big Ten and haven’t won a conference title since 2001, when they were in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

However, Maryland has won three consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history, and Shipps said he and his teammates are not afraid to dream big.

“There’s pressure just going to college,” he said. “But pressure makes diamonds. We need to go in and play well to make things happen. And we’ve got a great quarterback now. So we’re going to shake things up down there.”