Todd McShay spotlights Maryland QB Malik Washington as a potential transfer-portal payday after Manning Passing Academy

The Manning Passing Academy, held at Nicholls State in Louisiana as it wrapped its 30th year, didn’t just produce the event’s headline news. Todd McShay, reviewing the camp for his podcast, said he came away with Notre Dame’s CJ Carr as camp MVP. But McShay’s broader takeaway included a different name he viewed as a potential catalyst for college football’s next transfer-portal wave.

In McShay’s discussion, Malik Washington stood out not as part of the familiar 2027 NFL Draft storyline, but as a quarterback whose profile, he argued, fits what major programs often chase during post-season transfer cycles: elite arm strength, size, and enough mobility to stress defenses quickly. McShay described Washington’s throws as a “wow moment” during the week, emphasizing how the trajectory of deep balls reflected a rare combination of arm energy and physical tools.

Washington’s case, as characterized by McShay, is rooted in his freshman production at Maryland. The report highlights that Washington is listed at 6-foot-5 and “230-plus” pounds, and that he started all 12 games on a 4-8 Maryland team. It also credits him with completing nearly 58 percent of his passes, throwing for more than 2,900 yards, including 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and adding about 300 rushing yards with four rushing touchdowns.

McShay’s projection framed Washington as a quarterback who could command serious interest if he chooses to test the transfer portal after the 2026 season. The idea, as presented, is not just about improving his résumé, but about the timing of college roster decisions. The transfer portal tends to reward quarterbacks who can translate physical talent into repeatable results, and McShay suggested Washington’s physical traits make that translation plausible.

The bigger recruiting-and-roster implication is that Washington’s name could become a pressure point for teams searching for a high-ceiling passer who can also run enough to extend plays. In a cycle where quarterback upgrades can change the ceiling of an entire season, a prospect who is both arm-driven and big enough to push the ball into NFL-like windows can reshape how programs prioritize scholarship dollars and staff recruiting bandwidth.

Still, the practical caveat is that nothing in McShay’s recap is an official commitment, and a projected post-2026 portal entry is a storyline, not a confirmation. The transfer market will depend on Washington’s on-field development, his decision-making, and whether other quarterbacks emerge as comparable fits for teams in need of immediate stability under center.