Last year, though, the Terps stumbled to a 4-8 record after winning bowl games three years in a row for the first time in program history. Fans might have more patience stored up this year had it come after one of those three bowl seasons. Maryland and Locksley were trending upward incrementally before last season crashed.
Locksley said afterward that NIL shortage caused jealousy that led to him losing his locker room. Junior Daniel Wingate, one of the Big Ten’s best linebackers and another elite building block for next year assuming he returns, echoed Locksley’s sentiments about last season.
“Once the losing started going on, there was a lot of bickering going back and forth, a lot of, ‘This guy shouldn’t be playing, this guy shouldn’t be doing that,'” Wingate said before this season. “It was a mess.”
Unlike last year’s team, this Terps group has remained close and kept an optimistic collective attitude despite the losses. A lot of fans, though, understandably have not. While some view this half-season of near-success and the young talent as the recipe for a breakout in 2026, others have given up hope, hammering Locksley on social media.
“Some of it is expected and understandable,” a source said. “But the team has really improved from last year and it’s mostly young guys.”