Mike Locksley and Maryland’s 2025 recruiting class got a major boost on Friday. In a dual commitment special, Elite 11 finalist Malik Washington and his Archbishop Spalding teammate Jayden Shipps both put on a Terrapins hat and committed to Locksley’s squad. Additionally, down at St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida, three-star linebacker Tavares Daniels II joined in on the fun.
Washington is considered a four-start quarterback by 247Sports‘ metrics. He’s the top-rated player in the Terps’ class at this point and the 14th-best quarterback in the nation. Washington is also the third-best player from Maryland. Shipps is a three-star corner and is the 82nd-best corner in the nation and the 32nd-best player from Maryland.
Officially a Terp🐢❤️ #terpnation #commited pic.twitter.com/lN40MtlvtH
— malik washington (@malikw2025) June 28, 2024
Maryland Recruiting Gets a Boost From Three Friday Commits
The crown jewel of the Maryland recruiting class to this point is the quarterback of the future, Washington. Over the last month, Washington competed in the Elite 11 Finals against a host of other Power 4 commits, led by future Alabama quarterback and MVP, Keelon Russell. After impressing coaches and scouts, Washington made the cut as one of the final Elite 11 quarterbacks, beating out at least eight quarterbacks.
Washington is a pocket quarterback who can also get the job done on the ground. There have been a few instances when Washington pulled an option down and took it the distance. He is best at working through his progressions and has the arm strength to hit any throws he needs to make. He ended up coming in fifth in the Elite 11 accuracy competition. 247Sports makes a significant note that Washington is impressive in the face of pressure and can remain poised. Washington is the highest-ranked quarterback Locksley has ever gotten at Maryland.
Shipps is listed as a corner and has played corner for the first three years of his high school career. In an interview with Spartan Nation, Shipps mentioned that he will be making the move to safety. Shipps has that positional versatility that coaches love and will give Maryland plenty of options once he’s on campus.
Finally, as a three-star linebacker, Daniels was a star for one of Florida’s premier programs. Last year, en route to a 14-1 record, Daniels posted 70 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, three quarterback hurries, five pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
