Unproven depth could define Maryland football’s running back room

We have already taken an in-depth dive into Maryland football’s quarterbacks. With the 2026 season coming in just a few short sleeps, we will now move to examine the Terps that make up head coach Mike Locksley’s running back room.

The run game was one of Maryland’s biggest areas of weakness in 2025, finishing last in the Big Ten with just 104.3 rushing yards per game, its lowest total since joining the conference in 2014. While the Terps averaged 4.1 yards per carry — an increase from 3.6 in 2024 — the inconsistencies of the platoon-style room played a large part in forcing then-freshman quarterback Malik Washington to lead the conference in passing attempts.

The majority of the rushing production was carried out by Washington and running back DeJuan Williams, who rushed for 64% of Maryland’s total yards on the season. However, former offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton’s air raid offense limited Williams to just 128 carries.

The rushing limitations were a team-wide trend, as the Terps squeaked out only 305 rushing attempts to finish comfortably at the bottom of all Division 1 offenses. But with new offensive coordinator Clint Trickett entering the picture, fans could see that number skyrocket.

Maryland’s 2025 running back depth chart

Williams takes the throne

While Nolan Ray — who has since transferred to Boston College — was expected to shoulder the bulk of Maryland’s carries in 2025, it was Williams who stole the show. And with a brand-new speed-focused offensive playbook at his disposal, the redshirt sophomore is set up for a potential breakout this season.

Williams also presents as an immense threat in the passing game, catching 45 passes for 426 yards and one touchdown. That score came against a potent defense of the eventual national champions.

That play, along with a 40-yard rush against Michigan State in the season finale, displayed Williams’ breakout potential when given room to run out of the backfield. While Hamilton’s condensed formations may have provided restrictions to an inexperienced running back last season, this season’s spread formations should provide more freedom for Williams to flex his muscles.

Who makes the platoon?

Of the six remaining running backs on Marland’s roster, only Iverson Howard received carries in a Terps uniform. The former four-star from Gaithersburg, Maryland, had just 39 carries behind Ray and Williams in 2025, but now presents as the second-most experienced back on the depth chart. He made appearances in all 12 games last season, but primarily served as a kick returner, where he led the Terps with seven kickoff returns for 108 yards.

Behind Howard sits a pair of fairly inexperienced transfers in Harry Dalton III and Terrez Worthy. Dalton, who measures in at a stocky 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, could serve as the prototypical goal-line bruiser in a room of shorter, more elusive backs. Despite appearing in just four garbage time scenarios in 2025, Dalton managed to average 1.6 more yards per carry than anyone else on Maryland’s depth chart,

On the other hand, Worthy’s slender frame provides an entirely separate skill set for Trickett to experiment with. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound running back from Salisbury, Maryland, transferred in after a down sophomore year at Temple. In 16 games over two years in Philadelphia, Worthy ran for 496 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also put his blistering speed to use while serving as a returner in 2024.

Due to a top-heavy room in 2025, Solomon Foye did not see any game action. The redshirt freshman was converted from his recruited position as a talented high school linebacker.

DJ Samuels and Liam Willson are the only juniors on Maryland’s depth chart. Samuels acts as the de facto battering ram in the trenches for the Terps, but he saw his season cut to just four games after suffering a season-ending injury in 2025. In 2024, Samuels appeared in all 12 games in various roles on offense, defense and special teams, causing havoc in all facets of the game. 

Willson serves as the final new addition to the running back room, but he was brought to College Park from Wake Forest to play an entirely different sport. The junior started 23 games for the Maryland baseball team, finishing with four doubles, a triple, a home run and 13 RBI before committing to his secondary sport during spring practices. He hasn’t played a snap of football since his senior year of high school, when he rushed for 1,657 yards and 27 touchdowns.