ORONO — Maine’s most experienced receiver has a repaired right knee and perhaps a new role on the football team this season.

Jordan Dunn, a redshirt junior, is making tentative steps at getting back into the lineup as the opener looms Saturday at Boston College.

Primarily a slot receiver last year, when he caught 33 passes and scored three touchdowns, Dunn is listed as a second-stringer at outside receiver, behind sophomore Jared Osumah and redshirt freshman Micah Wright.

“I don’t want to just jump in there and act like that’s my spot to take. I want to feel like I earned it. I need to work for that,” Dunn said Tuesday as the Black Bears began game preparations. “I want to go in there, make plays, show the coaches I’m ready.”

Dunn was Maine’s second-leading receiver last year, behind Damarr Aultman, who is now playing for the Miami Dolphins. No other returning receiver had more than 13 catches last year.

But his status at the outset of this season is clouded by a summer spent recovering from microfracture surgery in his right knee. Dunn said the knee started bothering him after the Elon game last fall, but he played in the season finale against New Hampshire, leading the Black Bears with four receptions for 29 yards in a 20-12 defeat.

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Then Dunn took time off to let a groin injury heal. When he tried to come back for spring practices, it quickly became evident the knee issue was lingering, so surgery was scheduled. Dunn spent six weeks on crutches and was still limited when summer camp began last month. He returned last week, showing his old form on one fourth-and-long play in the Tuesday scrimmage by taking a vertical pass from Dan Collins and gaining the first down.

Dunn said he expects to play Saturday, though he’s not sure how much or in what role. He said he’s enjoying playing on the outside, where he can use his 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame to fend off smaller cornerbacks on curl and hitch patterns.

“In the beginning of the (2014 season) my route-running was sloppy. I struggled a little bit, just in press coverage and jams,” said Dunn, who started eight games last year. “Now I feel a lot more comfortable getting off the line of scrimmage. I was going against linebackers and lock-down safeties, so they’re way more physical than corners on the outside.”

Coach Jack Cosgrove said Dunn’s role for the opener hasn’t been defined, but that’s not really the issue. He’s just happy to have Dunn and fellow junior tight end Jeremy Salmon available after their offseason surgeries. It gives Maine two experienced receivers, both of whom caught passes in last year’s 40-10 loss at Boston College.

“He hasn’t practiced enough for us to be thinking anything other than getting him game reps,” Cosgrove said of Dunn. “I’d like to see that No. 1, he put in a good 60 minutes Saturday.”

It’s also unknown just who will be trying to pass Dunn the football. Cosgrove said he still hasn’t decided between Collins, a junior, and sophomore Drew Belcher as his starting quarterback. He seemed amused by the attention the position battle is getting, noting that six other Colonial Athletic Association teams also are unsure of their starting quarterback.

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“I may wake up in the middle of the night tonight and drive in (Wednesday) morning and tell them,” Cosgrove said. “I know it’s a high-profile position; I know it’s a special position in the sport. We have two guys who we feel can play; they’re pretty neck and neck. The more of that you have in this game, the better off you are. If you have two instead of one, aren’t you better?”

Last season, Cosgrove waited until the Thursday before the opener to proclaim Collins the starter.

By the third game, which was at Boston College, he was using both quarterbacks.

He said he’s not sure if both will play again Saturday.

“Last year was different because we weren’t experienced at all. We needed to provide experiences in the game to increase your competitiveness and understanding of the game,” Cosgrove said. “It’s really more performance-based now.”

 


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