The upcoming season presents significant challenges for Maryland head coach Mike Locksley. The program experienced a critical setback during training camp that will impact the defense’s capabilities this fall. According to Pete Nakos from On3, defensive end Zahir Mathis sustained a season-ending injury in Wednesday’s practice. Details regarding the specific nature of Mathis’s injury remain unclear.
Last year, Mathis had a strong performance as a freshman. Standing six-foot-six and weighing 220 pounds, he achieved 22 tackles, six sacks, and 8.5 tackles for loss in 2025. His six sacks were the team’s second-highest, trailing only Sidney Stewart, who recorded seven sacks in his freshman year.
Mathis was a crucial asset for Maryland this offseason as head coach Mike Locksley’s future was under scrutiny. Locksley holds a 37-49 record over his eight seasons with the team. In their last two campaigns, Maryland had a 4-8 record, securing only two victories in Big Ten games.
In November, Maryland’s athletic director, Jim Smith, expressed to ESPN the program’s focus on retaining players and enhancing recruitment to support Locksley. Mathis, along with Stewart and quarterback Malik Washington, was part of a promising freshman group last season.
We are working to strengthen our NIL support for 2026 and beyond and have already seen success for next year. We are prioritizing roster retention, recruiting, and competing in the transfer portal… We are optimistic about the young talent in our program and where we are in recruiting.
With Mathis out, Maryland will depend on Stewart to deliver an impressive sophomore season. The team will also rely on sophomore defensive end Nahsir Taylor and redshirt sophomore defensive end DD Holmes to bolster the pass rush. Maryland’s season opener is at home against Hampton on September 5. Following that, they will complete their non-conference schedule with a game at UConn on September 12 and host Virginia Tech on September 19.