A Maryland cornerback arrested in a domestic violence case has been released by the program. Head coach Mike Locksley confirmed the development in a press conference while wishing his former player the best for his future.

“Dontay Joyner is not with our program. He and I both met. He just finished his summer school class, I think, a couple of days ago. We both met, and both decided mutually that he needs a fresh start,” Locksley said about his CB, Dontay Joyner, in a presser on August 5.

“He’s been through quite a bit here this summer. Really, it’s not a good thing for him. Not a good thing for us. I hate to see him having to go through what he went through.”

Police arrested Dontay Joyner in Harford County after a domestic argument with his girlfriend. Subsequently, Joyner was charged with misdemeanor telephone misuse after repeated calls and electronic communication harassment.

According to police reports, Joyner allegedly threatened his girlfriend over the phone calls and later traveled to Laurel, Maryland, to confront her. According to the Baltimore Sun, Dontay Joyner had left over 100 messages or phone calls in five days.

Later, the authorities also reportedly discovered that he sent some of those messages while driving to his girlfriend’s place. Before Joyner’s subsequent arrest, the victim had reportedly warned him about contacting the police and the Maryland staff. Finally, on June 11, police arrested him.

According to The Diamond Back, Joyner had called his mother from jail. She then added his girlfriend to a three-way call. According to reports, it was a violation of the court-imposed bail conditions, and Joyner later pleaded guilty to four counts of violating pretrial conditions.

The final verdict came on July 8 after the prosecutors pushed for jail time. Reportedly, they requested a total of 3 years and 360 days in prison and wanted him to serve 9 months in jail, with the rest on probation.

However, Judge Kerwin A. Miller sentenced him to 3 years of supervised probation, taking his 27 days of jail time as credit for time served. The sentence also proposes several other requirements. That includes Joyner’s complete mental evaluation, no contact with the victim, and enrollment in an abuse intervention program.

Because of the prolonged legal case and the media scrutiny, Maryland has parted ways with him. However, head coach Mike Locksley didn’t rule him out from playing for another team.

Mike Locksley opens up about Dontay Joyner’s potential new program

Dontay Joyner started out as a defensive back with Arkansas State in 2023. Over the next two years, though, he didn’t get a lot of playing time. Then, when he went to Maryland in 2025, things changed under coach Mike Locksley’s guidance.

Joyner had an excellent year: 12 starts and 40 tackles, 2 picks, and 8 passes defended. And let’s not forget the 67-yard TD he took back from Nebraska. For that, he got an honorable mention from the Big 10. So, it was no surprise when he came back for more in 2026. Now, though, he is on the hunt for a new team.

“He has two years of eligibility left. We’re helping him find a place to go play,” Mike Locksley said. “He’s a guy that deserves another chance. We just felt like because of what he went through here in the state of Maryland, he probably needs a fresh start.”

Now, Dontay Joyner will most likely miss the 2026 season since the transfer portal is already closed. With the new five-for-five rule, he will have one more year left to play college football in 2027 after entering the portal in January.