Stinebaugh Injured – What Does That Mean for Terps?

Pete Volk

Editor

So tight end Dave Stinebaugh is out for 4-to-6 weeks with a medial collateral ligament injury. What does that mean for Maryland going forward?

Stinebaugh was the starting “F” tight end for the Terps, opposite Matt Furstenburg (who plays the “Y” position). Furstenburg got the majority of snaps in one tight end sets, but both of them have four catches on the season (42 yards for Stinebaugh, 59 yards and a touchdown for Furstenburg). The redshirt freshman from Baltimore had impressed coaches this season, and had become a favorite target of Danny O’Brien’s.

The most likely replacement for Stinebaugh at the “F” position is Devonte Campbell, who is still recovering from a preseason injury. The coaches expect Campbell to be healthy in time for the October 16 game at Clemson. The redshirt sophomore is a great athlete who caught five passes for 14 yards last season. Also coming back from an injury is Will Yeatman, a transfer from Notre Dame who recently had a cast taken off of his broken finger. According to the Diamondback, coach Friedgen said “Yeatman had his cast taken off today. Now that he’s got the cast off, he’s a very good receiver. The biggest thing is he’s been making mental mistakes, and that’s the last thing we need.”

One of those two guys should be able to find success this year, and Furstenburg has been a pleasant surprise at “Y”. Ultimately, Stinebaugh is a very good young player who has a bright future with the Terps, but Maryland has enough depth at the tight end position that the injury shouldn’t have too much of an effect for this season.