After a standout career on the Hilltop, SMU tight end RJ Maryland is seeking to continue his playing career at the next level.
Maryland announced on social media Monday that he is declaring for the 2026 NFL draft.
“This journey has been nothing short of a blessing,” he said in a post on X. “I want to thank Coach Rhett Lashlee for believing in me and pushing me to reach my full potential.”
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Maryland spent his full four years at SMU — a program not far away from where he went to high school in Southlake. He made an immediate impact from his freshman year and went on to finish with 1,495 yards and 19 touchdowns in his career.
As a junior, he set a program record for touchdown receptions by a tight end.
But Maryland’s junior year and plans to go to last year’s draft were derailed by season-ending ACL surgery.
After a long road to recovery, he returned for his senior season at SMU where he recorded 27 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns.
He split snaps with Michigan transfer Matthew Hibner for his last two seasons to make up one of the best tight end rooms in the nation. Hibner is also expected to get drafted.
Since he was a freshman, Maryland was expected to have NFL potential. His athleticism and size at 6-4 and 240 pounds should serve him well at the next level, as should his experience reaching two conference championship games and the College Football Playoff while at SMU.
He will now look to follow in the footsteps of his father Russell Maryland, a defensive tackle drafted No. 1 overall by the Cowboys in 1991.
On Twitter/X: @Lassimak
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