The Terps face No. 4 Penn State with nothing to play for but pride and recruiting fodder.
For the first time since 2020, Maryland football’s season won’t end in a bowl game.
It’s an unsatisfying ending for a group of seniors and graduate students that helped develop the Terps from one of the worst power conference programs to one that came out victorious in three consecutive bowl games — all against Power Four teams.
Their tenures will end in one of college football’s toughest road atmospheres and against one of the country’s best teams: No. 4 Penn State.
An upset is unlikely to happen. Penn State is a 25-point favorite against Maryland, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. But Saturday in Happy Valley, head coach Michael Locksley’s soon-to-be-departed upperclassmen have one more chance to build on what has been a decade of revitalization for the program.
A plethora of longtime contributors — including Ruben Hyppolite II, Tai Felton, Glen Miller, Roman Hemby, Tommy Akingbesote and Dante Trader Jr., among others — could be playing their last snaps in a Maryland unifrom against Penn State. That group helped turn a team coming off six consecutive losing seasons into one that won three straight bowl games for the first time in program history.
“I’ve got a bunch of seniors that are all for the smoke,” Locksley said. “They’re showing up, they’re doing the work. Nobody’s hanging their heads. We’re all disappointed, but … I’m gonna always choose optimism. And this team has embraced [that mentality].”
Many in that group grew alongside the program. They came to College Park as highly-touted recruits, buying into a vision for a brighter future and — for most of their tenure — did just that. Three bowl wins is nothing to scoff at. The group departing this offseason includes multiple future NFL players.
Few embody the growth Maryland has seen under Locksley more than Felton. He came in as a freshman recovering from an ACL tear, turned down offers from other schools to transfer in the offseason and mounted a record-breaking 2024 campaign with the Terps. Felton is expected to be drafted in the first few rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft.
“Not to finish [my college career] right way, it’s definitely frustrating,” Felton said. “But end of the day, I have to look at the positives from it and get the blessings of three bowl games in a row. A lot of my guys in the senior class will be looking forward to finishing it next week and still having one more opportunity, because that’s what it’s about.”
Despite the senior group’s success, the Terps have not beaten a ranked Big Ten opponent under Locksley, let alone a top-five one. All three bowl wins this decade came against teams with five or more losses. In a year marred by disappointment, beating Penn State would unquestionably be the biggest accomplishment of Locksley’s tenure. It would also help both reign in and retain recruits in the class of 2025 and onward.
Despite all the shortcomings surrounding Maryland under Locksley, one thing remains true in his tenure: the Terps have consistently stayed in games with top teams longer than many expected.
“I expect our guys to compete. We tend to play up,” Locksley said.
That trend hasn’t held up against Penn State head coach James Franklin, a former Maryland assistant who took over the program in 2014 — the same year the Terps joined the Big Ten. Since then, the Nittany Lions are 8-2 against Maryland, with their last two wins coming by at least 30 points.
It’s been a long year for the Terps. No matter what happens Saturday, they’ll finish with their worst conference record since 2019, Locksley’s first full year at the helm. Outside of a monster year for Felton and the emergence of Billy Edwards Jr., not much has gone right.
Another blowout loss would leave a long-lasting sour taste in the mouth of a program that’s already endured plenty this season. An upset win, or even a close fight, would help salvage the upward trajectory Maryland had entering the season.
The Terps’ 2025 recruiting class — headlined by four-star quarterback Malik Washington — is currently 247Sports’ No. 26 incoming class in the country. That group is crucial for Locksley’s future and the program’s long-term success. With numerous starters expected to depart this offseason, there will be plenty of playing time available for incoming freshmen.
Saturday is Maryland’s final chance to make an impression on them, and it’s the last chance for potential returners to establish confidence before a long offseason.
“We have standards in our program, and one of those standards is how you finish things,” Locksley said. “We all, as coaches and players, got a job to do.”