Maryland football dismisses starting cornerback Dontay Joyner

Ahmed Ghafir
1 day ago
2 min read

Maryland football's cornerback room has officially taken a hit ahead of the 2026 season.

Head coach Mike Locksley has announced that cornerback Dontay Joyner has "mutually" left the program. This comes weeks after the senior was released following 27 days in jail stemming from an arrest where he was charged with telephone misuse for making repeated calls, electronic communications harassment, and violating release conditions. Joyner pleaded guilty to the telephone misuse charge and is participating in an anger management program while being barred from any contact with his ex-girlfriend at the source of the incident.

"We both met and both decided mutually that he needs a fresh start," head coach Mike Locksley said.

"This summer really was not a good thing for him, not a good thing for us. I hate to see him have to go through what he went through, and so based on our conversations, we both have decided that mutually decided that he should find another place. He has two years of eligibility left. We're helping him find a place to go play. He's a guy that deserves another chance. We just felt like because of what he went through here in the state of Maryland, he probably needs a fresh shot."

It marks a significant blow for Maryland, who will now turn to a pair of NFL Draft prospects in Jamare Glasker and Amari Jackson to lead the room. Behind them will be a room looking to prove themselves. While Ricardo Cooper Jr. built a profile as a track star when at Calvert Hall, the upperclassman shifted from wide receiver to cornerback ahead of the 2025 season where he's added mass this offseason. Maryland also added a trio of cornerbacks from the high school ranks with Darrell Carey and Hakim Satterwhite among the January enrollees and Zahir Cobb arriving in June alongside the final batch of the 2026 signees.

Joyner recorded two interceptions, including a pick-six vs. Nebraska, along with 40 total tackles as a starter in 2025. The athletic cornerback arrived in College Park back in Jan. 2025 after transferring from Arkansas State, committing to Maryland over Michigan State and North Carolina while Houston, Georgia Tech and West Virginia were among the other schools involved.

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