Current Towson wide receivers coach DJ Steward took a trip out to Corvallis, Ore., in 2021 to see his brother AJ, then the running backs coach at Oregon State.
Wide receiver John Dunmore had recently transferred to Oregon State from Penn State and was a redshirt freshman with the Beavers at the time.
Steward took in some Oregon State practices while he was there, and one player really stood out to him: the former top-25 receiver in the Class of 2019.
“I was watching him in practice and I remember after practice, I go up to my brother and say, ‘Hey, who is that kid right there?'” Steward said. “‘That dude, he’s different. He’s making plays that I haven’t seen a lot of guys make.'”
Little did either know that Steward’s visit to Oregon State would make a difference down the road. In 2023, Steward took a coaching job at Towson and Dunmore entered the transfer portal for the second time in his college career. After trying to find his way with two power conference programs, Dunmore shifted his focus in a new direction.
“I believed in Towson,” the receiver said. “We had both seen the bigger picture of what we can do. There was a lot of potential for Towson and me going there, it was the best fit for me.”
The South Florida native chose the Tigers, spending one year on the scout team in 2023 before the college football world finally caught a glimpse of what he brings to the table.
“With the transfer portal, you get to find a home that fits you,” Steward said. “Sometimes you get it wrong the first time. Sometimes you get it wrong the second time and then, third time’s the charm.”
Through Towson’s first five games of the 2024 season, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound receiver had recorded 16 catches for 209 yards.
“I don’t think it matters where you go in the portal,” Dunmore said. “If you’re a dog, you’re a dog.”
Slowly but surely, those around Towson and those in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) have seen that side of Dunmore come out. He has paid his dues the last few years in college, and now he’s getting an opportunity to shine and make a name for himself.
Not only was the fit at Towson great from a football standpoint, but he believes the new environment is perfect for him as he starts to envision playing at the next level. Playing in a football-crazed region is perfect for the receiver.
“I love Towson,” Dunmore said. “I love this environment. … I’m taking all of this very seriously. I’m very big on being where I need to be.”
Steward says Dunmore has been very receptive and willing to learn, unafraid to work his way up the totem pole to succeed.
“Just being in the Baltimore area has really helped him thrive because it almost feels like a second home to him,” Steward said. “He needs that big-city environment to thrive in. … He came into this with a completely different approach. That’s what he definitely bought into, that he didn’t have many opportunities left, so he needed to make the most of this one.”
Dunmore set his goals before the beginning of this season and has stuck to them. He is ready to put together an All-American season in college as one of the top wideouts in the CAA and FCS.
He has the rest of this season to reach those goals and prepare to reach his next goal — to play on Sundays.
“I’ve faced off against some of the best corners and safeties in college since I started and those guys have told me, ‘Hey, you’re good. Stay on your course. Run your race,'” Dunmore said. “It’s been me going hard every day in practice knowing I can do this, I can make it to the next level.”
Photo Credit: ENP Photography
Issue 289: October/November 2024
Originally published Oct. 16, 2024