Spalding quarterback Malik Washington, the two-time Capital Gazette football Player of the Year, has narrowed his plentiful list of Division I college options down to six.
The junior announced his top choices on Instagram for his birthday Thursday. Washington narrowed his list to Maryland, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Texas A&M and Oregon.
He said he felt confident in those decisions for a week. He told The Capital on Thursday it feels good to lift the heavy bulk of recruiting behind. The anticipation of his next unveiling — he plans on committing to his future college in the spring — doesn’t pressure him so much.
He also confirmed that he’s not letting any one school sway in his heart over the rest just yet. He’ll spend the next few months working to visit each of his top six at least once.
“To be honest, everybody has something different to offer. I could see myself at any one of those six,” Washington said. “Now, I got to get down to the fine print things: education, majors, all that stuff.”
Washington, who led Spalding to its second consecutive Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title in November, was named the Touchdown Club of Annapolis’ Rhodes Trophy winner for the second straight season, as well as the MIAA A Conference Player of the Year. Washington is a nominee for Maryland’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He was 195-for-313 passing this season for 2,093 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. He rushed 31 times for 225 yards and six touchdowns.
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound pro-style signal-caller was given a 4-star rating by Rivals.com, where he is ranked 12th in the nation at the position in the Class of 2025.
Virginia Tech was Washington’s first Division I offer in April 2022. Penn State offered Washington on June 15, 2022, after Washington impressed at a Nittany Lions camp. Maryland was next, five days later. Syracuse was one of his latest, offering him in late September.
Washington’s total cache of offers also included James Madison, Illinois, Virginia, Western Michigan, West Virginia, Toledo, Charlotte, Temple, Marshall, Rutgers, Duke, Arkansas and Boston College.