Dontay

Demus Jr.

Coach Mike Locksley says Demus (6'3/217) is ahead of schedule from the knee injury that forced him to miss the final five games last season. Demus’ speed makes him a deep threat as he averaged a team-best 18.1 yards per catch and seance-highest receiving yards (507). Having him back for Week 1 will be necessary for the Terrapins.

Demus (6'3/217) got off to a hot start for the Terrapins in 2021, going for 28-507-3 in five games, before a knee injury against Iowa ended a potential breakout season. For Jarrett, the junior wideout turned in an impressive sophomore campaign, going for 62-829-5 while averaging 13.4 yards per reception. With quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa back for another season, and both receivers expected to be healthy, the Terps’ ninth-ranked duo will look to make some noise in the Big 10 after going 3-6 in conference plays last season.

Demus (6'3/217) sustained a major knee injury early in Maryland’s loss to Iowa last weekend, with the top flight receiver catching a short hitch and hyper-extending his knee in gruesome fashion on the ensuing tackle. The Terrapins’ leading wideout end the year with 28 receptions 507 yards and three touchdowns. He had been considered an NFL prospect before the injury, and still could very well be an NFL draft selection, but that depends on how well his rehab goes. In his absence, Jeshaun Jones is expected to pick up the slack.

The injury to Demus (6'3"/217) wasn’t pretty, as his leg looked to be contorted in several ways while returning a kickoff in the second quarter. Head coach Mike Locksley did share that an x-ray was done on Demus’ leg, but that we will know more on Demus’ status after an MRI is conducted. The loss of Demus, even if only for a few weeks, would be a monumental loss to the Terps, as Demus has gone for 28/507/3 on the season, averaging 18.1 yards per reception.

Demus (6'3/217) returned a kick early in the second quarter against Iowa, and suffered a leg injury that resulted in him being carted off the field. Demus fumbled on the play, and upon reviewing the fumble, viewers were shown the gruesome injury that befell Demus in the process. When it comes to the Maryland offense, Demus has been an x-factor for the Terrapins. He leads the team in receiving with a line of 24/446/3 and had four receptions for 61 yards against Iowa before exiting.

Demus (6'3"/217) was the star of the show in the first half. He found himself alone on the sideline and Tagovailoa found him with no problem to score Maryland’s first touchdown. Early in the second quarter, Demus took a deep cross 64 yards as he raced up the sideline once again, getting pushed out at the ten which set up Maryland’s third score. Demus is deservedly leading this Terrapin’s team in receiving, and increased his lead on Rakim Jarrett in this one. Demus will need to continue his strong play when Maryland takes on Iowa this coming Friday.

This was the second-straight 100-yard game for Demus, who also went for 6/133/1 against West Virginia last week. Demus (6'3/217), possesses tremendous field stretching abilities, and has shown it thus far. He is currently averaging 21.8 yards per reception, and has a career YPR of 17.0. Next Friday he and the Terps will look to take their record to 3-0 as they face the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Senior Demus Jr. was Maryland’s leading receiver last year with 24 catches for 365 yards and four scores. Cobb is also a senior and chipped in 188 yards and a touchdown in the four games he played in last year. Finally senior DL Okuayinonu has a been a defensive line staple since 2019 and has 5.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks for his career.

Demus (6'4/202) was forced to shoulder a heavy load with fellow starting wideouts Jeshaun Jones and Rakim Jarrett out of the lineup. He received a season-high 14 targets, which were nine more than the second most utilized receiver. His best play came when he out-jumped an Indiana defender to haul in a 43-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter for Maryland’s only score of the game. The physically imposing junior will try to find the end zone again next Saturday when Maryland travels to play Michigan.