COLLEGE PARK — In the end, hardly anyone will recall that Maryland football’s annual spring game at SECU Stadium on Saturday afternoon ended with the White team defeating the Red Team, 31-28.

What might be more memorable is how the glorified scrimmage might have signaled the emergence of Malik Washington as the Terps’ starting quarterback.

In his first public display, the freshman who grew up in Glen Burnie and graduated from Archbishop Spalding outdueled redshirt junior and UCLA transfer Justyn Martin.

There are still four months between now and Maryland’s season opener against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30, but Washington strengthened his candidacy.

“The work that we all put in for the offseason allowed us to come out here and put the product on the field,” Washington said. “I trusted everybody because we’ve all been working so hard since we’ve been here in January, and it’s been amazing to see.”

Billed as the No. 5 quarterback prospect nationally and the No. 50 overall recruit, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Washington looked the part.

He seemed as comfortable waiting in the pocket for receivers to get open as he was scrambling when the protection broke down and did not exhibit too many nerves.

Washington finished completing 12 of 18 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. He directed the Red team on another drive that culminated in a touchdown run by redshirt freshman running back DeJuan Williams.

Washington said he had a section filled with “upwards of 35” family members supporting him.

“I’m home,” he said. “There was a big section of just my family out here, and I felt right at home. It’s just like playing in high school. It felt just fine to me.”

The 6-4, 220-pound Martin connected on just 6 of 16 throws for 69 yards with a 50-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Ryan Manning in the third quarter. One of his passes was deflected by redshirt junior defensive tackle Aaron Folivi and intercepted by sophomore outside linebacker Keyshawn Flowers in the second frame.

“I’m glad we got to put points on the board,” Martin said. “I obviously want to do better and get more completions. But the guys had fun. We got to showcase our talent as a team. So that’s the most important thing.”

While noting that the competition is “ongoing,” Terps coach Michael Locksley couldn’t help gushing about Washington.

“In relation to Malik, I’ve said it many times, the thing that really stands out is the maturity that he shows,” he said. “Even though he has a lack of experience in our system, he doesn’t have a lack of experience in managing a team, managing offenses, building. He did a tremendous job as a guy at Archbishop Spalding and elevating that program. I’ve seen him come in here and be really comfortable with being able to come in and pick up the things that we’ve asked him to do.”

The Red team labored initially under Martin’s direction. On the offense’s opening series, it gained just one yard and was forced to punt.

On the Red team’s next possession, Martin scrambled four yards on fourth down-and-4 at the 41 to gain a first down as the first quarter expired. Martin was then replaced by Washington, who then guided the offense 55 yards in seven plays for a 2-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Octavian Smith Jr.

On the Red team’s next series, Washington needed just six plays to help the unit march 65 yards for a 1-yard touchdown run by Williams, a Baltimore resident and St. Frances graduate. The drive was punctuated by a 39-yard throw that Washington dropped over sophomore cornerback Kevyn Humes, another Baltimore resident and St. Frances graduate, and into the hands of Manning, a St. Frances graduate, that positioned the offense at the 1-yard line.

In the third quarter, the Red team finally found some rhythm with Martin under center. On a play-action pass, Martin hit Manning for the 50-yard touchdown along the right sideline that trimmed the White team’s lead to 24-21.

The Red team opened the fourth quarter with Washington’s third touchdown drive of the game. He hit redshirt junior tight end Leon Haughton Jr. on an intermediate in route, and Haughton Jr. bounced off a tackler and completed a 26-yard touchdown.

With the White team nursing that narrow three-point lead, Washington appeared to throw the game-winning touchdown when he hit redshirt sophomore wide receiver Sean Williams for a 23-yard strike with 44.4 seconds remaining. But Locksley ruled that Flowers “sacked” Washington before he threw at the 29.

Redshirt sophomore kicker Ryan Capriotti’s 46-yard field-goal attempt strayed wide left, and the White team held on for the win.

Take what you will from the performances by Washington and Martin, but both quarterbacks were overshadowed by Khristian Martin, who is not expected to challenge Washington and Martin for the starting role. The 6-4, 232-pound redshirt freshman who helmed the White team completed 16 of 23 passes for 269 yards and four touchdowns and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. But he downplayed the suggestion that he stole the spotlight from Washington and Martin.

“I always anticipate the best for myself,” he said. “There are some things I have to go back and clean up of course. But everybody else around me did their job, and it made my job easier.”

Khristian Martin said he wasn’t sure whether he or Washington had done enough to prove to Locksley either one should start in the season opener.

“I just know I’m going to put one foot in front of the other every day, and I’m going to keep working,” he said. “At the end of the day, I feel like God makes the final decision. So whoever He wants out there, He’s going to put him out there, and I feel like He has a plan for everybody.”

Whoever wins the competition, Washington said the others in the quarterbacks room will be his biggest fans.

“All of us are best friends,” he said. “We spend so much time together. We’re here at six in the morning, and we’re the last ones to leave the building. So when you’re with somebody that long, you just kind of build that relationship. We all can trust each other and ask everything of one another.”

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332- 6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun.