Unbeaten Maryland and Virginia Tech bring the region’s talent to center stage

Malik Washington and Jeffrey Overton Jr. lead a deep cast of players with Virginia, Maryland and D.C. connections into Saturday’s matchup in College Park.

Maryland quarterback Malik Washington gathers with teammates at the UConn game. September 12, 2026, East Hartford, Connecticut. Photo: Mackenzie Miles/Maryland Terrapins.

Maryland and Virginia Tech bring matching 2–0 records to College Park on Saturday night. For fans across Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., the game offers a chance to see familiar high school standouts face each other on a bigger stage.

Maryland quarterback Malik Washington and Virginia Tech running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. are among the local players already making an impact. Saturday brings both teams their first Power Four opponent and a tougher measure of their fast starts.

Washington, a Glen Burnie native and Archbishop Spalding product, completed 34 of 41 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns without an interception in Maryland’s 38–14 win at UConn. Washington’s Maryland biography · UConn game statistics

One of Washington’s most productive targets has been Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, who attended Stone Bridge in Ashburn.

Gladding caught eight passes for 130 yards and a touchdown at UConn, following six catches for 57 yards and a score against Hampton. That gives him 14 catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns through two games. Gladding’s Maryland biography

Maryland receiver Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding carries the ball against UConn. September 12, 2026, East Hartford, Connecticut. Photo: Mackenzie Miles/Maryland Terrapins.

Overton, a Woodbridge, Virginia, native, played three seasons at Freedom-Woodbridge before spending his senior year at Hayfield Secondary. He opened the season with nine carries for 104 yards in the 73–3 win over VMI, scoring on runs of 50 and 23 yards. Against Old Dominion, he added 47 rushing yards and four receptions for 32 yards in a 44–21 victory. He enters Saturday with 151 rushing yards and a role in the passing game. Overton’s Tech biography · VMI box score · ODU box score

Virginia Tech running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. stiff-arms an Old Dominion defender at Lane Stadium on September 12, 2026. Photo: Leila Aguilar / Virginia Tech Athletics.

Tech’s receiving group features more familiar names. Freshman Davion Brown, from Richmond and Trinity Episcopal, has five catches for 50 yards through two games. Tight end Ja’Ricous Hairston, a Bassett native who attended Bassett High School, has three catches for 68 yards, including a 30-yard reception against Old Dominion. Both have contributed in each of Tech’s wins. Virginia Tech roster · VMI receiving statistics · ODU receiving statistics

Both offenses have put up big numbers against FCS and FBS opponents. Maryland followed a 62–0 win over Hampton with its victory at UConn, while Tech beat VMI and Old Dominion by a combined 93 points. Now the defenses get their toughest assignments yet. Maryland’s early-season results · Tech’s VMI result · Tech’s ODU result

Several players with Maryland roots will try to slow the Terps down. Cortez Harris, a Largo native who played at Riverdale Baptist before beginning his college career at Penn State, has three sacks through two games. He recorded two against Old Dominion after registering one against VMI. DeMatha product Noah Chambers has also started both games at linebacker, giving the Hokies another player with Maryland roots in the middle of their defense. Virginia Tech roster · VMI statistics · ODU statistics

Virginia Tech defender Cortez Harris raises his arms during a game. Photo: Photographer credit pending gallery verification.

Maryland coach Michael Locksley highlighted Tech’s front seven, including Harris, interior lineman Kemari Copeland and Chambers, in his pregame news conference, according to Michael Cavallo’s report for Maryland On SI. Locksley described Chambers as the player who “runs the show.” Maryland’s protection against that pressure will be one of Saturday’s central matchups. Maryland On SI’s pregame report

Copeland, a Virginia Beach native and Floyd E. Kellam graduate, started all 12 games in 2025, led Tech with 4.5 sacks and earned third-team All-ACC recognition. He has started both games this season, providing an experienced presence inside the defensive front. Copeland’s Tech biography · 2026 game statistics

Virginia Tech defensive lineman Kemari Copeland takes his stance during a game. Photo: Photographer credit pending gallery verification.

Alongside Chambers, linebacker Kaleb Spencer has supplied more early production. The Gloucester native and Life Christian Academy product has seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks through two games. Against Old Dominion, he also forced a fumble and recovered one. Behind that front, Alexandria’s Joshua Clarke, a Flint Hill graduate, has started both games at cornerback. Virginia Tech roster · Clarke’s Tech biography · VMI defensive statistics · ODU defensive statistics

Virginia Tech linebacker Noah Chambers, wearing No. 16 in orange, celebrates during a game. Photo: Photographer credit pending gallery verification.

Maryland has its own highly touted young defender in Zion Elee, a consensus five-star recruit from Baltimore and St. Frances Academy. Playing off the bench at UConn, the freshman recorded three tackles, his first college sack and a forced fumble. DD Holmes, a Washington, D.C., native and Gonzaga College product, recovered the loose ball. Elee’s Maryland biography · UConn defensive statistics and participation

The Terps also got production from several other local linebackers at UConn. Trey Reddick, from Hampton and Phoebus High School, started at UConn and finished with four tackles. Daniel Wingate, from Bowie and St. Vincent Pallotti, added five. Sidney Stewart, from Joppa and Concordia Prep, contributed six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. On offense, Gaithersburg’s Iverson Howard, a Quince Orchard product, rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown. Maryland roster · UConn box score

Maryland linebacker Sidney Stewart tackles a UConn ball carrier with Zion Elee nearby. September 12, 2026, East Hartford, Connecticut. Photo: Mackenzie Miles/Maryland Terrapins.

Virginia Tech coach James Franklin addressed those recruiting ties in his Monday news conference, pointing to the program’s alumni presence and history in the area.

“It's a very important area for a lot of programs, but specifically for Virginia Tech,” Franklin said. Virginia Tech’s September 14 press-conference excerpts

Locksley made a similar connection between scheduling and recruiting, saying Maryland should “play where we recruit,” according to Cavallo’s report. Maryland On SI

How the matchup stacks up

Neither team is ranked in the September 13 AP or Coaches Top 25. Virginia Tech received 11 AP voting points and nine in the Coaches poll; Maryland received none. Latest polls

These season averages cover each team’s first two games, through September 12. Both schedules included an FCS opener, so the figures are an early snapshot, not opponent-adjusted ratings. Scoring averages include points from all phases.

Sources: Tech vs. VMI, Tech vs. ODU, Maryland season statistics and Maryland at UConn. Rates use combined totals, not an average of individual game percentages.

When Tech has the ball: The Hokies are averaging 58.5 points against a Maryland defense allowing seven per game. The more revealing test may be on the ground: Tech managed 89 rushing yards at 2.1 per carry against ODU, while Maryland has allowed 38.5 rushing yards per game. Ethan Grunkemeyer’s 327 passing yards against ODU offer another route, but Tech allowed four sacks that day. Protecting Grunkemeyer against a pass rush averaging five sacks per game will be central to Tech’s chances.

When Maryland has the ball: Maryland is averaging 560.5 yards against a Tech defense allowing 196.5 per game. Washington has completed 73.6% of his passes without an interception, and Maryland has allowed just one sack. That protection faces a different test against Tech’s 12 sacks. Third down presents another test: Maryland has converted 55.2% of its chances, while Tech has held opponents to 20%. Maryland’s clearest early advantage is ball security: four takeaways and no giveaways, compared with Tech’s four takeaways and four lost fumbles.

Special teams could swing the field: John Love is 4-for-4 on field goals, while Maryland’s Sean O’Haire is 3-for-4 after missing from 37 yards at UConn. Tech also scored off a blocked punt against VMI and got a 79-yard Que’Sean Brown punt return against ODU. Maryland’s punt coverage will need to prevent those short-field opportunities; O’Haire converting stalled drives would help the Terps keep pace. Tech’s ODU recap

NSMT Makes the Call

Odds snapshot, September 16, 2026, 3:42 p.m. ET: FanDuel Research listed Virginia Tech favored by 2.5 points and a 53.5-point total. BetIQ’s matchup page showed Tech favored by three with the same total. Lines vary by source and can change before kickoff.

Our pick: Virginia Tech 36, Maryland 24. We give Tech the edge because of its pass rush and ability to create short fields on special teams, with Grunkemeyer providing enough offense through the air. Maryland’s ball security is the strongest counterargument: Tech will need to protect its possessions better to win by this margin. Our editorial pick calls for a 12-point Tech win and 60 combined points, a wider margin and higher total than the odds above suggest.

One team will leave College Park 3–0, and players familiar to fans across the region will help decide which one.

If you watched these players under the Friday night lights, Saturday is a chance to cheer them on in person again. Two unbeaten teams and plenty of local talent should make this a fun matchup at SECU Stadium. Buy tickets through Maryland Athletics.

Game reminder: Maryland hosts Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 19, at SECU Stadium in College Park. Watch on FS1. Game information

Virginia, Maryland and D.C. player directory

The complete regional list includes 120 players with Virginia, Maryland or D.C. ties, based on the schools’ 2026 online rosters checked September 16. School names follow the roster listings, and player names link to official biographies. Positions and classes use compact abbreviations. R beside a year denotes redshirt; 5Y denotes fifth year and GR denotes graduate.

Virginia Tech: 55 players

Scroll within the table to see all Virginia Tech players. Swipe sideways for hometown.

Maryland: 65 players

Scroll within the table to see all Maryland players. Swipe sideways for hometown.

Reviewed and edited by David Gaylor.