Dontay Demus Jr. looks to build off a breakout season for Maryland football

Our summer profile series is back and we’re previewing Maryland football one position group at a time. We’ll be spending our first week with potentially the most impactful position on this year’s team, the Terp wide receiver group.

Matt profiled redshirt senior DJ Turner on Thursday, and today, we’ll take a look at Dontay Demus Jr.

Dontay Demus Jr, WR, No. 7

Height: 6’3
Weight: 200
Year: Junior
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
High school: Friendship Collegiate

2019 Stats: 12 games; 41 rec, 625 yds, 6 tds, 15.2 avg/c

Career Stats: 23 games; 51 rec, 868 yds, 6 tds, 17.0 avg/c

The background

The three-star committed to Maryland as the No. 9 player out of D.C. in the class of 2018, per 24/7 Sports. Demus tallied over 1,000 yards in his senior campaign at Friendship Collegiate and was named to the Second Team All-Metro after the season.

Demus hit the ground running as soon as he arrived at College Park. In his freshman season, he appeared in all 12 games and started in the season finale against Penn State. He ranked third among wide receivers on the team in receiving yards with 278, just 10 behind fellow freshman Jeshaun Jones.

In a sophomore year that left him as basically the only solidified option in the Terrapin passing game after Jones suffered a torn-ACL and DJ Turner faced off-field issues, Demus broke out and led the team in all receiving statistics with 625 yards and six touchdowns on 41 receptions.

Demus has the size that many defenses can’t stop

Standing at 6’3, Demus is the tallest of the wide receiver bunch. His build earned him six touchdowns in his sophomore season, the most for a Terrapin since D.J. Moore did it in 2016. After the season, he was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.

Something that Demus excels at is his skill to break out when he finds open space. He had two 100-yard performances and a number of other games where he caught multiple passes for over 20 yards a piece.

Demus’ ability to not only beat defenders up top but also after receiving the ball makes him one of Maryland’s most dangerous offensive weapons.

A little help alongside him can go a long way

Though Demus shined on the field, the Terrapins finished the 2019 season with a disappointing 3-9 record — only one win coming in Big Ten play. Head coach Mike Locksley’s first season didn’t go as planned, but he has done well in building a future at Maryland.

This fall, Demus will see the return of Jones, who is set to have a breakout season after impressing in his freshman year. Turner will also play a big role as a senior, and most of all, the receiving core will introduce five-star Rakim Jarrett who signed to Maryland after switching over from LSU.

Maryland’s game plan for this season has to change from a run-first option to airing it out more as its top two backs left for the NFL last year. Demus can be a huge factor in the rebuild in College Park with a stacked group at his position that will play a much bigger role in 2020.