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Eli Lederman, ESPN
The top uncommitted quarterback in the 2025 class came off the board Friday afternoon when Malik Washington, No. 255 in the ESPN 300, announced his pledge to Maryland.
Washington, a 6-foot-5 passer from Severn, Maryland, opted for the in-state Terrapins over other finalists Virginia Tech, Syracuse and UCF. He is the No. 15 pocket passer in the 2025 class and the second-highest-ranked prospect in Maryland’s upcoming class behind fellow in-state commit Iverson Howard, No. 252 in the ESPN 300.
Washington entered the weekend as the last uncommitted quarterback in the ESPN 300, and his pledge represents the latest development in an increasingly settled quarterback market in the 2025 class.
With Washington headed to Maryland, just six of the 83 quarterbacks across ESPN’s pocket passer and dual-threat quarterback rankings remain uncommitted. Between Notre Dame and the 67 programs across the Power 4, only seven are without at least one quarterback committed in 2025, with Colorado, SMU and UCF among those still actively chasing a quarterback in this cycle.
Equipped with a big frame and a strong arm, Washington won back-to-back conference titles at Maryland’s Archbishop Spalding High School over the past two seasons, and he was among the participants at last week’s Elite 11 Finals in California.
Nearby Virginia Tech was the first program to offer Washington, and he developed close relationships with the Maryland staff growing up 30 minutes from the Terps’ College Park campus. Fran Brown and Syracuse made a push for Washington’s pledge, hosting him on campus twice in 2024, and UCF entered the picture this spring, as well.
Ultimately, Washington settled on the finalist closest to home and a coaching staff that has made frequent visits to Archbishop Spalding over the past two seasons. Washington’s pledge hands coach Mike Locksley the highest-rated high school quarterback commit of his tenure at Maryland and a major recruiting win as the Terrapins progress through the 2025 cycle.
