Daylon Dickerson is coming into his own during his second season with UMBC men’s basketball.
The former SMU wide receiver is hitting his stride with the Retrievers a few years after trading cleats for basketball shoes. The 6-foot-6, 205-pound forward was averaging 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game heading into UMBC’s matchup against South Florida on Dec. 21, all improvements from a year ago.
“Just gaining confidence in myself. I was still behind after taking that whole year off from basketball,” said Dickerson, who redshirted with SMU’s football team in 2022. “There were a lot of things I needed to work on in my game — just continuing to build my confidence and believe in myself that I can compete at this level.”
Dickerson was originally recruited by UMBC out of Kaufman High School in Texas, about 35 miles southeast of Dallas. He played football, basketball and baseball and competed in track and field in high school.
Dickerson set multiple Kaufman records on the gridiron as a senior in 2021: single-game receptions (10), single-season receptions (45) single-season receiving yards (777), career receptions (99) and career receiving yards (1,560).
Dickerson also dominated on the hardwood, eclipsing 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 250 assists during his career and earning a nomination for the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game.
“I think all sports tie in with each other,” Dickerson said. “Being able to play all those sports and be pretty good at them — I think they all sprinkled into my success now with my athleticism, IQ and competitiveness, for sure.”
UMBC head coach Jim Ferry first noticed Dickerson at Kaufman before he chose college football.
“I just liked his versatility,” Ferry said. “I thought he was a tremendous athlete. He played with a great motor, and I just thought he fit the way we wanted to play — even before we got to know him.”
After redshirting at SMU, Dickerson realized basketball was his true passion. He transferred to McLennan Community College (Waco, Texas) to restart his hoops career, averaging 16.8 points per game on 55.6 percent shooting and 9.0 rebounds per game in his lone season in 2023-24. He earned All-Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference honors for his efforts.
“A bunch of dogs out there — it’s nasty,” Dickerson said of the Texas JUCO scene. “A bunch of dirty work has to be done to win games at JUCO. It was a good experience and a good year for me to come back to the [hardwood] after taking a whole year off playing football. It was a good challenge, and I think I did OK to be able to go D-I after that year and end up at UMBC.”
UMBC assistant coach Danny Lawson reconnected with Dickerson after previously recruiting him out of high school, when Dickerson’s decision had come down to playing basketball at UMBC or football at SMU.
“After my JUCO year, Coach Lawson hit me back up and gave me another chance,” Dickerson said. “I went on a visit and liked it all over again. The coaches were good to me. Coach Lawson just kept being persistent and consistent — that’s really why I’m here today.”
Dickerson averaged just 3.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in his first year with the Retrievers in 2024-25. Ferry always believed Dickerson had what it took to succeed.
“I think it was an adjustment for him, coming to basketball full-time,” Ferry said. “He had some growing pains, but the one thing about Daylon that always comes through is he just cares so much.”
Dickerson and Ferry were on the same page in terms of adjustments that had to be made.
“I still kind of have a football player mentality on the court,” Dickerson said. “So just being under control, learning the pace of the game, slowing down and doing what I had to do to help the team win.”
“He plays so hard, and a lot of times last year his motor got him in trouble because there’s a fine line between playing with a motor and playing with discipline,” Ferry said. “I think he had to find that fine line.”
Dickerson added that he and Ferry have had a strong relationship since he arrived at UMBC.
“I think he and I have gotten along ever since I came here,” Dickerson said. “He really puts his players first. He’s a hard coach, and that’s all he wants — he wants to coach you hard and bring the best out of you. That’s really why I like him.”
The two share a common goal — bringing an America East title to UMBC while continuing to grow every day. The Retrievers haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2018. That was the year when UMBC, a No. 16 seed, made tournament history by upsetting No. 1 seed Virginia in the opening round.
“The first goal is to bring a championship to UMBC — that’s goal No. 1 for everybody, then continuing to build every day,” Dickerson said. “We know the season won’t be perfect. There will be off days. But as long as we keep progressing and trusting each other, I feel like the sky’s the limit — especially with the team we have this year.”
Photo Credit: Tyler Kraft/UMBC Athletic Communications
Issue 296: December 2025 / January 2026
Originally published Dec. 17, 2025