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Corey Dyches represents the only proven commodity in Maryland’s tight end room

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1 year ago

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Corey Dyches represents the only proven commodity in Maryland’s tight end room


Our Maryland football position previews continue with a look at the Terps’ tight ends. Thus far, we have analyzed the team’s linebackers, secondary, special teams, offensive line and defensive line.

Maryland’s tight end room is under new leadership with the hiring of Kevin Sumlin as the group’s position coach. Sumlin brings a swath of high-level experience to the table, having previously been a head coach at Houston, Texas A&M and Arizona. At Maryland, he inherits a collection of tight ends with a proven returner in Corey Dyches, but a unit still looking to establish depth with C.J. Dippre off to Alabama.

Let’s take a look at what to expect from the Terps’ tight ends this year.

Maryland’s 2023 tight end depth

PLAYER YEAR 2022 STATS
PLAYER YEAR 2022 STATS
Corey Dyches Junior (RS) 39 receptions, 494 yards, 3 TDs
Preston Howard Freshman (RS) N/A
Rico Walker Freshman High School (4-star recruit)
Leron Husbands Sophomore (RS) N/A
Dylan Wade Freshman High School (3-star recruit)
A.J. Szymanski Freshman High School (3-star recruit)
Maxwell Brown Sophomore (RS) N/A
Joshua Jennings Sophomore N/A
Thomas McCluskey Freshman High School

Dyches is primed for a big year

Last season, Maryland had a two-headed monster in the tight end room with Dyches and Dippre, who combined for 69 receptions, 808 yards and six touchdowns. But Dippre, who began to garner NFL buzz, transferred to Alabama in the offseason, leaving Dyches as the undoubted leader at the position — the only returnee that has caught a pass in college.

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Dyches has shown flashes of stardom in his career and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention this past season. But with Dyches being the only proven threat at his position, 2023 will be his best shot to break out as one of the best tight ends in the conference.

“He’s really the only guy with experience,” Sumlin said in the spring of Dyches. “But 500 yards of experience is pretty good. It’s a good place to start.”

Last season, Dippre emerged as a high-level blocker while Dyches showcased more athleticism in the receiving game. The Terps used plenty of two-tight end sets to take advantage of that one-two punch, but Dyches didn’t necessarily have an opportunity to prove his blocking ability as much. That remains his biggest question mark heading into the season.

Now, that’s not to say that Dyches doesn’t have the strength and ability to become a complete tight end that can make an impact at the next level. He’s shown his ability to excel at the more physical aspects of the game, namely when he dragged a Purdue defender nearly 15 yards into the end zone for a highlight-reel touchdown last October. In fact, as a freshman, Dyches sat behind Chigoziem Okonkwo on the depth chart — a similarly-built tight end that was primarily considered a threat in the passing game due to his athleticism, but has found early success with the Tennessee Titans in the NFL. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Dyches slots in a bit smaller than what the 6-foot-3, 250 pounds Okonkwo was listed at ahead of his senior season, but the athleticism is impossible to ignore.

By default, Dyches’ presence provides a de facto extra receiver on the field for the Terps, but one of the key factors in improving their running game from last year — one that was far better than anticipated — will be blocking provided by the tight end position. If Dyches showcases an improved overall skillset this fall, Maryland’s offense could take on another dimension.

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Who else will step up?

If the spring game is any indication — and that’s an assumption at best — Preston Howard is in line for the second-most snaps at tight end behind Dyches. Howard had three receptions for 61 yards in the spring game, one of the top performances among pass-catchers.

“Not playing last season kind of took a toll on my confidence a little bit, you know, not being able to show what I can do against college players. But this spring really showed me they’re the same as me,” Howard said after the spring game. “I’ll be good. I just gotta have confidence in myself. And when I have confidence in myself, the sky’s the limit.”

Howard played quarterback in high school and was one of the highest ranked players from the state of Maryland in his class, but standing at 6-foot-5 without an obvious path to substantial playing time, he was moved to tight end and redshirted during his first year in College Park. And now with Dippre gone and the role of the team’s second tight end up for grabs, Howard seems like the most likely candidate to see an uptick in repetitions during the season.

Another highly-ranked recruit that moved to tight end is Rico Walker, Maryland’s top signee in the class of 2023 that transitioned from outside linebacker, although he did gather some experience at wide receiver in high school. He made two catches for 18 yards in the spring game after enrolling early.

Also, Leron Husbands saw action in one game last season but didn’t record a statistic. He could, however, be a good candidate for a blocking-first tight end considering his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame and relative experience.

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Other incoming freshmen Dylan Wade and A.J. Szymanski will figure into the program’s future plans, but are likely too early in their careers to make major impacts.

On paper, Maryland’s tight end group seems like Dyches and everyone else. But the importance of depth in football can never be underestimated, and in order to reach its full potential, the collection of tight ends on the roster will have to do just that.

“The other guys, we gotta find out,” Sumlin said. “They understand that. We’ve talked about that and what their roles are going to be and how they’re going to be able to help us win.”



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Maryland

Watch Aidan Chiles, Nick Marsh talk MSU win over Maryland

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5 hours ago

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September 7, 2024

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Watch Aidan Chiles, Nick Marsh talk MSU win over Maryland


Michigan State won a big time road game over Maryland, improving their record to 2-0, and giving head coach Jonathan Smith his first Big Ten conference victory as the head man of the Spartans.

A big part of that win was the connection between Aidan Chiles and Nick Marsh, and more specifically their 77-yard touchdown connection tying the game 24-24 late in the fourth quarter.

Chiles and Marsh spoke to the media after the team’s win, which you can watch via Spartan Mag on YouTube:

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Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Cory_Linsner





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16-year-old arrested after 15-year-old fatally shot in Maryland high school bathroom

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12 hours ago

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September 7, 2024

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16-year-old arrested after 15-year-old fatally shot in Maryland high school bathroom


A 16-year-old student at a high school in Maryland has been detained after he allegedly shot and killed a 15-year-old student in one of the school’s bathrooms.

The name of the suspect has yet to be released. The victim, Warren Curtis Grant, died following the shooting at Joppatowne High School. Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler made the announcement at a press briefing.

The suspect fled the scene but was detained close by just minutes later.

“He has yet to be charged but will be charged, and at the time those charges are preferred as an adult, we will release the name of the suspect,” Gahler told the press, according to The Guardian.

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The sheriff added that his office has handled more than 10 cases in the last two years “where the suspect was either the victim, witness or the suspect in an incident handled by the Harford county sheriff’s office.”

A member of the Harford County Sheriff's department tries to clear the way for an emergency vehicle as it heads toward Joppatowne High School after a shooting at the school, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Joppatowne, Md
A member of the Harford County Sheriff’s department tries to clear the way for an emergency vehicle as it heads toward Joppatowne High School after a shooting at the school, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Joppatowne, Md (AP)

While the sheriff’s office told the public to avoid the area after the shooting, it said that it was an “isolated incident, not an active shooter.”

An “active shooter” situation refers to when a suspect is firing against everyone they see rather than targeting a particular person.

An area church was used as a reunification center for students and their parents. The school is located about 20 miles northeast of Baltimore.

Gahler noted that more than 100 law enforcement officials responded to the scene.

The fight at Joppatowne High School took place just two days after the shooting at a high school outside Atlanta, Georgia where a 14-year-old shot and killed four people.

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How to watch Michigan State vs. Maryland (9/7/24): TV channel, kickoff time, live stream

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20 hours ago

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September 7, 2024

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How to watch Michigan State vs. Maryland (9/7/24): TV channel, kickoff time, live stream


Michigan State got the job done in its season opener, but it wasn’t pretty as it hung on at home against Florida Atlantic. Now, it has to head on the road to open Big Ten play in what promises to be a tougher test.

· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on FuboTV (free trial)

· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on Sling

· Watch the Michigan State Spartans on DirecTV Stream

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· Visit MLive’s Betting Home for latest odds & sportsbook promos

Michigan State is 1-0, but the road gets tougher now. The Spartans go on the road and start Big Ten play early in Week 2 with a trip to Maryland. The Terrapins have a new look this year without quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa but looked strong in their season-opener against Howard last week.

· Who: Michigan State at Maryland

· When: 3:30 p.m.

· Where: SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland

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· Twitter: Follow Matt Wenzel

· Live updates: Beginning at 2:30 p.m. at mlive.com/spartans

· Latest line: Maryland -9.5

TV Network: Big Ten Network

Streaming options:

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· FuboTV is offering $30 off the first month for all U.S. plans. Sign up to get your favorite TV shows, live sports events, and much more

· Sling currently has an offer of $20 for the first month of subscription and has streaming coverage of live sports, news and entertainment.

· DirecTV Stream offers live sports, news and on demand TV.

Five must-reads before kickoff:

* Michigan State lost two members of its secondary, Dillon Tatum and Khalil Majeed, to long-term injuries in its season opener. The team is turning to some new faces to fill in the holes from those injuries.

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* Alex VanSumeren was once Michigan State’s top-rated recruit, but he’s been seldom seen on the field due to injuries. Now, though, he’s healthy and making his mark on the Spartans’ defensive line.

* Aidan Chiles’ 10-completion, two-interception performance in Michigan State’s season-opener was his “floor,” according to offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, who has a plan to improve the quarterback’s performance going forward.

* Jonathan Smith had a name for Week 1 in college football: overreaction Saturday. He’s cautioning fans not to put too much stock into an opening performance that likely underwhelmed many.

* The run game and discipline are two of Matt Wenzel’s five things to watch in this week’s matchup.

Michigan State

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* Passing: Aidan Chiles 10-14, 114 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT

* Rushing: Kay’ron Lynch-Adams 9 rush, 101 yards, 1 TD

* Receiving: Michael Masunas 2 rec., 29 yards, 0 TD

* Tackles: Angelo Grose 12

* Sacks: Khris Bogle 1.5

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* Interceptions: Grose, Nikai Martinez 1

Maryland

* Passing: Billy Edwards Jr. 20-27, 311 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

* Rushing: Roman Hemby 14 rush, 66 yards, 1 TD

* Receiving: Tai Felton 7 rec., 178 yards, 2 TD

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* Tackles: Glendon Miller 6

* Sacks: None

* Interceptions: Ruben Hyppolite II, Miller 1

Friday, Sept. 6

Western Illinois at Indiana

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Duke at Northwestern

Saturday, Sept. 7

Texas at Michigan, noon (FOX)

Rhode Island at Minnesota, noon (Peacock)

Bowling Green at Penn State, noon (BTN)

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Akron at Rutgers, noon (BTN)

Iowa State at Iowa, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)

Michigan State at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. (BTN)

Eastern Michigan at Washington, 3:30 p.m. (BTN)

South Dakota at Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m. (FS1)

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Kansas at Illinois, 7 p.m. (FS1)

Colorado at Nebraska, 7:30 p.m. (NBC)

Western Michigan at Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. (BTN)

Boise State at Oregon, 10 p.m. (Peacock)





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