R.J. Maryland's tracking to stardom at tight end for SMU

Last year, it took R.J. Maryland time before settling in at tight end for SMU as a freshman. He wasn’t heavy enough, was learning the college game and adjusting to new asks from his new coaching staff.

The son of former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Russell Maryland still went on to score the second most touchdowns by an SMU tight end in a single season. Maryland caught 28 receptions for 296 yards and six scores.

With eyes on the NFL in his future, Maryland knew he needed to add some mass to hold up.

“Those coaches in the NFL, they want that. They want a bigger tight end,” he said. “Got to be able to run routes and block guys. Those d-ends in the NFL are the biggest guys in the world.”

SMU offensive coordinator Casey Woods noted the son of the College Football Hall of Famer was a pro on and off the field. SMU laid out a plan for Maryland and he executed to perfection.

“RJ’s been a super professional about that,” Woods said during fall camp. “He’s always kind of had that demeanor about him. He’s serious about what he wants, he’s intentional. He don’t say a lot. In March, I said about Aug. 1, this is how much you need to weigh and it needs to be this body fat percentage, and he showed up 235, 14 percent body fat. RJ’s taken a step in my opinion. He was always a physical kid who was willing to do it, but it’s different leveraging a high school defensive end than it is Oklahoma’s defensive ends.”

It took a lot of work to get to that level, but he knows he had to add some serious weight to take the next step.

“A lot of weight lifting, a lot of eating,” Maryland told reporters. “I was trying to eat lot of food, but healthy food, get a lot of salad and over-eat salad and broccoli. I don’t really like broccoli, but I’ve got to eat it so I can gain weight somehow. Our offense, we’ve got to pass protect. Sometimes, those big guys, they can move you, especially those guys from Maryland. Those guys from OU will be able to move you too so gaining weight helps with that, gets stronger.”

Maryland ready to be next NFL tight end from SMU

When SMU brought in Maryland, he was already an impressive receiver. He registered 65 catches for over 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior for the Dragons. After a dominant senior year, he stepped on SMU’s campus and was learning on the fly.

“He’s always been a pretty elite route runner on the perimeter,” Woods said. “Now he’s understanding those routes and what it is we’re trying to get from the entire concept, not just his route. The what, how and why. He’s starting to get himself into that why, which is awesome.”

“I think RJ’s playing at 240, which helps him,” SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee added. “He’s more physical and obviously can do what he does catching the football.”

Lashlee’s always involved the tight ends in his offense, which bodes well for Maryland.

“I love this offense because we throw the ball and I love catching the ball,” Maryland said. “That’s my favorite part. It’s like my high school offense. We just throw the ball, throw the ball, throw the ball so it’s fun.”

With the offense SMU runs, Maryland’s got a chance to join the run of tight ends from the Hilltop in the NFL. SMU’s put Kylen Granson, Grant Calcaterra and Ryan Becker in the NFL recently. There’s a good guess as to who’s next.

2022 was a great first step, now he’s squarely on the radar as a factor for the Mustangs.

“I got high expectations for RJ,” Woods said.

So does Maryland.

“I want to be the next one (SMU tight end in the NFL),” Maryland said. “That’s my goal to be the next great SMU tight end.”