QB Nathan Bernhard flips commitment, becomes 14th pledge in Maryland's 2026 class

Ahmed Ghafir
3 days ago
1 min read

One day after adding the 13^th pledge of the 2026 cycle, Maryland football has a quarterback locked in with Ashland (OH) three-star Nathan Bernhard flipping his commitment.

Bernhard, a 6-foot-6 quarterback, flipped from Appalachian State on Monday with offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton chipping away and wide receiver assistant Derek Kief serving as the lead recruiter. The pro-style quarterback picked up the offer during his visit this weekend and committed on the spot.

"I think with their athletic director coming out and saying they're going to commit coach Locks, go all-in on the football program, and on top of it the school itself, what it offers academically," Bernhard told IBG.

Maryland monitored the position with two underclassman along with Justyn Martin rounding out the position, though with Malik Washington set to return for a second season as starter, locking down the quarterback depth gives the unit flexibility in 2026 and beyond.

Bernhard now joins a room anchored by Washington and returns Jackson Hamilton as a redshirt freshman in 2026.

As a senior, Bernhard threw for just shy of 2,900 yards and 31 touchdowns to two interceptions while completing 63% of his passes.

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