NFL Draft analyst spotlights Maryland QB Malik Washington after Manning Passing Academy

Ahmed Ghafir
2 days ago
2 min read

Malik Washington became Maryland football’s first quarterback during the Mike Locksley era to be named a camp counselor at the Manning Passing Academy down in Thibodaux, LA over the weekend. While he may not have drawn immediate buzz among the top participants, the camp gave a chance for the 6-foot-5 quarterback to build on his national profile, which proved to be enough to stick out to NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay.

After naming Notre Dame QB CJ Carr his MVP, McShay named Washington as one of two quarterbacks who caught his eye alongside CJ Bailey out of NC State.

“If he builds off of what he did last year, just watching him physically, nobody had his arm. And he’s that big, he’s mobile,” McShay said of Washington.

The former ESPN analyst also pointed to a “sensational freshman year,” a season that was capped off by Washington etching himself into the program record books. His 38 completions and 459 passing yards vs. Michigan State both rank top five in single game program history, while Washington already sits top 20 in multiple career passing categories. His 2,963 passing yards and 273 completions comfortably rank the most by any Maryland freshman quarterback, but attention has since shifted to what his sophomore season will blossom into.

Despite being a surprising omission from preseason all conference honors, Washington looks to build on a productive freshman campaign as new offensive coordinator Clint Trickett will to tap into his athleticism to add another element to the offense. While all eyes will be on whether the skill players can step up for the sophomore quarterback in year two with a continued emphasis on establishing the run game behind DeJuan Williams, McShay left impressed with Washington’s skillset.

“It was my first wow moment of the week there was watching Malik throw a deep ball. He's got a different level of talent.”

McShay also noted that there is a “high anticipation” that the former four-star could command “upwards of maybe seven million dollars” should he opt to hit the transfer portal in 2027. Yet in the era of constant change, projecting what happens one year away in the modern college football would be nothing more than speculation given all eyes are how year eight of the Mike Locksley era pans out with eyes on a bounceback season.

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