The Maryland Terrapins quarterback Malik Washington had a fantastic season last year. A college football analyst and writer has pointed out an essential skill that could pose a threat to opponents, giving him the top spot in an "elusive" list.

CBS Sports writer and college football analyst Cody Nagel was writing a piece about the 10 most "elusive" quarterbacks in college football right now, and Washington's name was right there at the top of his mind, ranking him first in the list, highlighting his sack avoidance rate stat.

"Maryland may have found a special quarterback in Malik Washington," Nagel wrote on August 2. "While many freshmen need time to adjust to the speed of Power Four defenses, Washington looked comfortable from the start, consistently finding ways to escape pressure and extend plays."

According to Nagel of CBS Sports, Washington took no time to adjust. He had a sack avoidance rate of 93.8 percent, trailing behind Walker Eget with 94.9 percent in the league last year.

Not only that, but he also led his team in yards after contact per rush with 5.7 and ranked fifth in explosive rush rate with 16.4 percent. He gained 2963 yards by passing and had 303 rushing yards. Washington also had 17 passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns.

Furthermore, he completed 273 passes out of 473 attempts, setting the school record for a freshman and leading the conference in attempts. He also threw for 200-plus yards in 11 of the 12 games he played, becoming one of only four FBS true freshmen to achieve this feat.

After seeing his performance last year, one of the Terrapins' members has spoken up about him ahead of the next season.

The Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley talks about the importance of Malik Washington

While Washington has shown his excellent set of skills in his freshman season, ranking among the top 5 players in the Big Ten in completions and passing yards per game last season, with 246.9, coach Locksley has expressed his feelings about the player.

"He has put in work this offseason to make major strides in his game, and he's a kid that I've known since eighth grade," Locksley said on July 30. "He was recruited to come to Maryland to help us take this program to the next level, and I can tell you, after one year and the growth that I've seen from Year 1 to Year 2, I expect him to do just that."

Locksley said it at Big Ten media days, further highlighting the area where he has improved, being leadership qualities. Locksley expects a great season ahead with Washington being surrounded by talented players.

If Washington continues to give such record-breaking performances just as last year, the Terrapins will hold a much tighter grasp of the Conference.

Read more at Quarter Back Central!

Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote