Through extensive roster turnover, Maryland football’s defense looked almost unrecognizable headed into 2025. 

As notable leaders such as Ruben Hyppolite II and Dante Trader Jr. departed for the NFL, the defensive unit looked to turn over a new leaf. 

With new faces littered throughout, one returner stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Junior linebacker Daniel Wingate appeared in 23 games for Maryland over the past two seasons, but was overshadowed by others. Early this season, it has become clear that Wingate is a key defensive leader. 

“Leadership is what really jumps out to me,” head coach Michael Locksley said of Wingate. “He’s been this way since he got here on campus and has played behind some really talented players.” 

In Maryland’s opener, Wingate provided his team with its first spark. His first career interception — after he had one called back earlier in the game — which he returned 20 yards for the Terps’ first touchdown of the new campaign. 

Against Florida Atlantic, Wingate led the way for his teammates as the Terps recorded six interceptions on the day. 

“We want to establish our identity as a defense that gets turnovers and being able to get six turnovers in the first game, it’s a great way to set the tone,” Wingate said after the Florida Atlantic game. “After I got mine, so many people wanted to get theirs, and it was just a matter of who’s gonna get the next one.”

In that moment, a switch was flipped. Wingate was no longer a guy who played beside Maryland’s main leaders — he was one of them.

For Wingate, scoring a touchdown was something he wasn’t particularly familiar with.

“Last time I scored a touchdown might have been my pee-wee days,” Wingate said after the Florida Atlantic game. “It’s been a while since I’ve scored a touchdown, but it felt great to get it back.” 

Wingate’s opener wasn’t over after the pick-six. He recorded 10 total tackles — a feat he had only reached once before, in the final game of 2024 against Penn State, when he totaled 13 tackles. 

The junior linebacker followed up his strong opening performance with a career-high in total tackles against Northern Illinois. Wingate swarmed to the ball Friday night, totaling 14 tackles. 

As Maryland’s offensive struggles glared, the defense held firm and was a huge factor in the victory.

Wingate’s leadership was evident as the Terps faced Northern Illinois’ heavy-running offense. He’s the signal-caller for Maryland’s defense and a key reason that the Terps have started 2-0. 

“He’s the guy that’s got the green dot on his helmet, which means he’s getting guys lined up and making the necessary calls and adjustments,” Locksley said of Wingate. “He has a really good feel for what [defensive coordinator] Ted [Monachino] is trying to get accomplished, and doing a tremendous job leading our defense.”

In only two games thus far in 2025, Wingate has 24 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss. In 23 games over the two seasons prior, Wingate had 57 total tackles and 7.5 tackles for a loss. 

He’s on pace to shatter his two previous seasons and has a chance to receive some serious recognition. 

As one of Maryland’s few key returners, the jump in both his play and his impact on the defense is exponential. 

“I wanted to improve. Just the aspect of being a leader, being able to have my guys running 11 hats to the ball, fixing the little things that we weren’t able to fix last year,” Wingate said.

Headed into this season, Wingate switched his jersey number from No. 16 to No. 1. 

The trend shows that it’s a sign of someone who significantly impacts the defense, and Wingate is no exception. Under Locksley, only two other defensive players have worn No. 1 — Jaishawn Barham, now a standout at Michigan, and Glendon Miller, who recently played for the Kansas City Chiefs. 

It means something. Locksley has consistently reiterated that Wingate is one of his top leaders and has been a significant asset for a young and inexperienced unit. 

“We have a lot of young guys, a lot of guys that don’t have much experience. Having the little experience that I have through my two years, being able to lean on them… and let them know that everything’s gonna be good,” Wingate said. “We’re gonna go through some things, but no matter what, if we can play our game, it means a lot.”