SMU tight end RJ Maryland will miss the rest of the season after suffering a leg injury in a 40-10 win over Stanford, coach Rhett Lashlee announced on Tuesday. Maryland is the Mustangs’ leading receiver and one of the top tight ends in the nation.
The junior went down after getting hit in the knee on a screen pass on SMU’s first drive of the second half. He needed help going to the sideline and did not return to the game. After scoring 31 points in the first half, SMU reached the end zone only once in the second half after Maryland went out.
Maryland caught 24 passes for 359 yards and four touchdowns before going down. He has nearly 1,200 yards in his three-year career with the Mustangs. With Maryland sidelined, wide receiver Jake Bailey is the new active receiving leader with only 17 catches for 260 yards in seven games.
Maryland is the son of former No. 1 overall pick Russell Maryland, a star defensive tackle at Miami who won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys. A four-star recruit in the Class of 2022 from Southlake, Texas, he joined quarterback Preston Stone as the program’s top two recruits in more than a decade.
Why Maryland’s loss matters
Since losing to BYU in Week 2, No. 22 SMU has quietly emerged as a serious ACC title contender. The Mustangs are 3-0 in ACC play with a high-profile home game against No. 19 Pittsburgh on Nov. 2 in Dallas that could help the winner crash the ACC title game over Miami or Clemson.
Losing Maryland makes the path just a little bit more difficult heading into the home stretch, especially with tricky matchups against Duke, Boston College and California remaining. The Mustangs should be favored in each game but will need players to step up as playmakers in Maryland’s absence.
How SMU replaces Maryland
Maryland has provided a key safety blanket for SMU as it worked through a battle at the quarterback position. During a 29-24 over Nevada in the season opener, Maryland caught eight passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. In 2.5 ACC games before getting hurt, Maryland caught 11 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns.
The Mustangs attempted to fortify their depth by adding Michigan tight end transfer Matthew Hibner, who could get a bigger role. Hibner has only four career catches in the past two seasons. With Maryland sidelined, quarterback Kevin Jennings must find more ways to involve his group of receivers. There are 29 wide receivers in the ACC alone with at least 20 catches, but none play for SMU.
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