Archbishop Spalding senior quarterback Malik Washington had it instilled in him from a young age to not take anything for granted. His goal in life is to “leave a legacy” that lasts.
On June 28, Washington took a major step toward achieving that goal. The consensus four-star recruit and 247Sports’ No. 14 quarterback in the Class of 2025 committed to Maryland.
Washington is set to become the face of a program searching for its first conference title in 22 years. It’s not lost on him that he has the chance to become a legendary figure in Maryland history if he brings championship hardware back to College Park.
“Doing something like that will create a big splash. Now it’s like, we will remember this Maryland team forever,” Washington said on Glenn Clark Radio July 1. “It comes with a position like the quarterback. It’s one of the most memorable people from almost every team. So I’ll [have my] name in lights for a while, no matter what happens the rest of life. But my memory, my legacy will be here. … I’ll be able to tell my kids and my grandkids.”
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback has led Archbishop Spalding to a 21-3 record and two conference championships, throwing for 5,072 yards and scoring 60 total touchdowns over his two seasons as a starter. He’s a comfortable pocket passer with enough arm talent to make throws in all areas of the field, but also flashes upside as a runner.
A two-sport star who earned All-MIAA A Conference honors in basketball, Washington was named The Baltimore Sun’s 2023-24 high school boys’ Athlete of the Year. He also has a 3.7 GPA, according to The Sun, and was praised for his work ethic by scouts at the Elite 11 prospect showcase.
It wasn’t immediately clear to Washington where he wanted to go to school. He also considered offers from Syracuse, Virginia Tech and UCF. But as the recruiting process continued, he realized the best situation for him was close to home.
“At first it was really just wherever the best situation was for me,” Washington said. “And that happened to be home, where I felt the most comfortable.”
Washington appreciated head coach Michael Locksley’s straightforward approach to both recruiting and the game.
“He’s always kept it real with me,” Washington said. “He never really gave me a sales pitch or anything like that. Every time we had a conversation, it was a genuine conversation about where he saw me and the program going and everything like that. And Coach has a pretty good track record as far as quarterbacks. He’s helped some dudes out a lot. I want to be a part of that group that makes it to the next level.”
It also didn’t hurt that Kyle Schmitt, his high school coach and mentor, played football for the Terps.
“He always told me wherever I feel is best, he’d support me any type of way,” Washington said. “He’s been a great coach, even better mentor. He’s taught me and a lot of my teammates a lot of life lessons. With him it’s not always about football. Coach Schmitt’s the coach I can go to and talk about food, or talk about class or anything like that. He’s just always been there as a mentor.”
Washington knows the impact that a high-level quarterback can have on the rest of a program’s recruiting. Two of his high school teammates — three-star cornerback Jayden Shipps and three-star defensive lineman Delmar White — have committed to Maryland since Washington announced his commitment. He’s gone right to work on social media trying to convince other recruits to join him in College Park.
One of his primary targets is his close friend and cross-state rival, McDonogh four-star receiver Jeff Exinor. Exinor committed to Penn State on Friday, but in the modern college football world, nothing is finalized until signing day.
“I’ve known Jeff since fifth grade — actually from basketball, playing against each other for years,” Washington said. “We’ve always kept pretty tight, kept a pretty close relationship. … I’m going to be on him about it until the season’s over, until signing day when I can’t be on him about it anymore.”
Washington is also giving back to his community, hosting his second annual free youth football camp at Archbishop Spalding on July 12. Those interested can sign up here.
For more from Washington, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Malik Washington