Trio of Juniors Play Key Role in Wide Receiver Rotation

Juniors Brian Cobbs, Darryl Jones and Carlos Carriere will play key roles in establishing the wide receiver rotation

The depth and talent at the receiver position has been well-documented with arguably Maryland’s most ready 2021 prospect in Dontay Demus returning alongside Jeshaun Jones, DJ Turner and a deep freshman stable. But 2020 gave others a chance to step up and in 2020, a trio of juniors will become an even bigger focus as wide receiver coach Joker Phillips sifts through the balanced room.

We’re talking about juniors Carlos Carriere, Brian Cobbs and Darryl Jones as the trio look to build off a 2019 season that earned each of them a bigger role. Carriere, a lengthy 6-foot-5 signee out of Alpharetta, Georgia, earned his biggest role as a sophomore when he made two starts in 12 appearances including a pair of catches and his first career touchdown in the Week Two win over Syracuse. The work ethic of the long wideout has turned the head of head coach Mike Locksley in the past as the Georgia native can say he’s one of two wideouts to provide the necessary length outside and in an offense that features plenty of speed, Carriere serves as a perfect diversification piece.

Some of that speed comes from Virginia native Darryl Jones as he started opposite of Dontay Demus last season. Though drops were an issue for the receiver room a season ago, the 6-foot-2 wideout tallied eight starts and appeared in every game as he showed himself as the quick twitch wideout. His route tree gives him a chance to make a play over the top, but his first inside step off the snap gives him good separation.

That speed in the wide receiver room gives outside receiver Brian Cobbs a chance to prove himself as the dependent target that he proved to be a season ago. Often serving as a strong target to help move the sticks, Cobbs has tallied five starts and has yet to miss a game through his first two seasons with the program. His relentless work ethic has positioned him into a bigger role through his first two seasons and in a deep stable of talent in 2020, Cobbs can continue to serve as the outside receiver that can gain the needed separation with his crisp routes in order to pick up the first down.

As a whole, Maryland will have little problem finding weapons to give to the quarterbacks to rejuvenate the offense in year two under Locksley, but the trio serve as an example of the blend of talent in the room. With the return of redshirt sophomore Jeshaun Jones in 2020, the Jones duo will battle it out for reps as Cobbs and Carriere provide a different blend of talent. The consistency from the trio could benefit from added attention on Demus this upcoming season, serving as a prime template for how Maryland can improve upon their passing attack from a season ago.