Maryland defensive back Dontay Joyner arrested on harassment charges

A returning Maryland starter is now facing criminal charges that put the University of Maryland’s athlete-accountability standards under a sharper spotlight in College Park. Defensive back Dontay Joyner was arrested June 11 in Harford County and is charged with telephone misuse and electronic communication harassment, a case that reaches beyond the arrest location because Joyner is a senior on the Terps’ 2026 roster.

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrest, and court records list the June 11 arrest date. University officials had not publicly responded, and no statement from Joyner or his representatives was available in the material reviewed. The absence of a public university response leaves open the question of what, if any, team discipline Maryland will impose while the legal case moves forward.

Joyner is not a marginal roster name. Maryland lists him as a 6-foot-0, 180-pound defensive back from Lakeland, Florida, wearing No. 6 and majoring in sociology. He transferred to Maryland from Arkansas State and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition in 2025 after starting all 12 games in his first season in College Park. Maryland athletics had also described him as set to return in 2026 for what was expected to be his second and final college season.

That background gives the arrest immediate significance for a program that leans heavily on visible veteran players and a fall calendar built around major campus dates. Maryland’s 2026 home schedule already includes UCLA on Sept. 26 for Family Weekend, Rutgers on Oct. 17 for Homecoming and Wisconsin on Nov. 14 for Military Appreciation. Any off-field case involving a returning starter can affect preparation, roster planning and how the school is viewed across Prince George’s County, where the Terps are one of the county’s most prominent public brands.

For now, the record is limited to the arrest, the charges and Joyner’s place on the team. The next steps will come from the university, the court system and whatever disciplinary review Maryland chooses to apply to one of its most established defensive backs.