Malcolm Culmer should have a role at WR for Maryland football in 2016

Maryland football starts its season in 28 days. Until then, we're profiling every player on the roster in our Profiles in Terpage series.

Malcolm Culmer, wide receiver

Height: 5’11
Weight: 185 pounds
Year: Senior
High school: Willingboro High School (N.J.)
Jersey No.: 83

How he got to College Park

Culmer was a three-star recruit out of Willingboro, New Jersey, rating as the No. 36 player in his home state and the No. 164 receiver in the class of 2012. He redshirted his first season with the program and finished his redshirt freshman season with five catches for 59 yards in 2013, appearing in 12 games and making four starts after Stefon Diggs and Deon Long went down with injuries. He saw playing time decrease in 2014 when Diggs and Long returned, but saw it tick back up in 2015 after they left. Last season, he led the team in yards per catch with 14.7. This came on only 15 receptions, though, which can be partly attributed to Maryland’s general lack of production in the passing game.

He’s never locked down a starting role permanently in his three years with the team, but he’s been a contributor at wide receiver in each of those seasons. Injuries to Diggs and Long gave Culmer more playing time than everyone expected early on, and now he’s fighting for a starting spot as a senior.

A career highlight

Reeling in three catches for 65 yards against Penn State in 2015.

2016 prospectus

Culmer is competing for a starting spot with Levern and Taivon Jacobs, D.J. Moore and possibly even freshman Tino Ellis. With the unique way wide receiver works, Culmer should get some starts this season even if he doesn’t start the first game. The team will likely cycle through a few receivers at the three starting spots, and it won’t necessarily matter that much, because at least five or six players could get snaps at the position in any game. Culmer saw first-team reps in the spring game, for whatever that’s worth.

What a dream season would look like

Culmer wins a starting spot in camp and never gives it up. He is the team’s steadiest receiver and does enough to get an NFL training camp invite.

Next in the series...

... one of two freshman wide receivers who hail from the same local school.

Standings

Reborn479-13
PeachesTerp-9
Testudbro-5
apgibson24-5
Scaletta-4
jayman88-4
TerpDonkey-4
ImFromMarylandAndNobodyCanBeatMe-4
MurderlandBoy-4
jgoldy17-4
terpcommenter-2
amaymon27-2
RedTurtle-2
HughGR-2
ezra2141-1
Mr. Papageorgeo-1
Carolina-1
PMatt-1
EricPat-1
Cyfi98-1
terps150-1
AZDesertTurtle-1
TnTerp-1