Buying or Selling the Early Hype Around Maryland Tight End Dorian Fleming

There's been a lot of noise surrounding the Terps' offense heading into the 2026 season, but there's one important piece that has seemed to go under the radar.

Nov 8, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Maryland Terrapins tight end Dorian Fleming (9) is tackled by Rutgers Scarlet Knights linebacker Abram Wright (6) during the first half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dorian Fleming was brought into the Maryland football program as a key piece of the offense, with the athletic ability and skill set to become a big-time threat. Pairing him with the now-sophomore quarterback Malik Washington in 2025 brought some high moments in a season that resulted in an underwhelming 4-8 finish.

The 6-foot-3 tight end finished his first campaign in College Park, appearing in all 12 games, racking up 40 receptions for 351 yards, three touchdowns, and also starting in 10 contests.

It wasn't a mind-blowing stat line that Fleming turned in his first season at Maryland but Terps fans shouldn't be alarmed because the talent and potenital is there.

During the Terps' first two weeks last season, Washington found Fleming and connected well, leading the offense in convincing victories:

• Vs. Florida Atlantic: six receptions, 36 yards, and one touchdown

• Vs. Northern Illinois: four receptions, 70 yards, and one touchdown

The consistency woes, plus the lack of a real, substantial rushing attack, held back the Terps' offense from reaching its full potential and sustaining consistent, high-level production throughout games. This also resulted in lower production from Fleming, especially with wideouts Shaleak Knotts, Jalil Farooq, and Octavian Smith Jr. taking the bulk of the targets.

Why Fleming's Production Will Be Critical In 2026?

Offensive coordinator Clint Trickett has a good track record when it comes to working with tight ends. Veteran NFL tight end Harrison Bryant is a prime example of someone who benefited greatly from being coached by Trickett.

During Trickett's time as a tight ends coach at Florida Atlantic, Bryant saw steady growth in his development as a player and in his on-field production. In 2017, Trickett's first season, Bryant earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors with 32 receptions, 408 yards, and five touchdowns.

Year two saw production rise to 45 receptions and 662 receiving yards, and being named First Team All-C-USA. Bryant's final campaign would see it all come together: becoming a John Mackey Award recipient (first non-FBS winner), finishing with 1,004 receiving yards on 65 catches with seven touchdowns. Bryant is only the third C-USA tight end and third Owl of all time to go for over 1,000 yards.

Switching back over to Fleming, Trickett will help mold Trickett into a top-end product who will stretch the field vertically, taking advantage of linebacker matchups and smaller defensive backs lined up against him. With how up-tempo Trickett's offense could be due to an improved run scheme, Fleming will benefit from easy RPO plays or short passes into YAC opportunities.

Strengths

Fleming's athletic frame, standing at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, gives him an advantage based on size alone. But his footwork and body control stand out to me on tape: he moves seamlessly, breaking in and out of routes to create space and separation from defenders. He also has good speed to gain extra yards after the catch, which gives him flexibility to line up outside or inside. He's got strong hands to make contested grabs or adjust on balls that are not accurate.

Weaknesses

Blocking is not his strong suit. I believe the Terps' reunion with Preston Howard is not only to provide another vertical threat in the tight end room but also to have someone who's much more developed as a blocker, including returning senior AJ Szymanski. Flemings has shown in the past, for some simple concentration drops, that he needs to improve to really step up to the next level in his game.

Where Could This Put Maryland's Offense In 2026?

Maryland's offensive rankings weren't the best last season: 95th in scoring offense (23.5 points per contest), 95th in total offense (360 yards per contest), and 89th in red zone offense (.811 %).

The passing offense was one of the best in the FBS, averaging 255.7 passing yards per game, which ranked in the top 35. Fleming's increased involvement in the offense could push this passing attack even higher in the rankings, which could prove valuable in red-zone situations where seven points have to be a given. Expect more targets and plays drawn up for Fleming.

Receivers Na'eem Abdul- Rahim Gladding, Kaleb Webb, Chris Durr Jr., Jordan Scott, and others' production will be key in the attention that Fleming will draw, or not, to have an increased workload.

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