With less than a minute to play in Friday’s game against Florida International, Maryland football tight end Derrick Hayward broke out of his stance and split wide on a red-zone play, figuring quarterback Perry Hills would throw the ball to someone else.
After all, Hayward assumed the Panthers safety, who took his first step backward, was dropping into coverage against him. But then the defender darted toward the line of scrimmage.
“I’m like, ‘The ball has to come in here at this point,'” Hayward remembered thinking as he streaked alone in the right corner of the end zone.
He was right. Hills tossed a nine-yard pass, and Hayward secured it for his first career touchdown, a tangible reward for his offseason work that’s propelled him to the top of the team’s depth chart entering its third game against Central Florida.
“He was not where he’s at on the depth chart right now when we started [in the] spring,” coach DJ Durkin said. “He’s earned that spot and then done really well with the snaps, and, I mean, he’s going to continue getting more and more.”
Last week, offensive coordinator Walt Bell called the tight end position the “Swiss Army Knife” of his offense. The players have to block on the line of scrimmage. Bell can split them out wide in passing situations. Sometimes, they even line up in the backfield to serve as a fullback.
For Hayward, developing that range of ability started with maintaining a heavier “Big Ten tight end” weight and refining his ball skills. After almost every workout, he’d settle in to catch passes off the Jugs machine or from Hills.
Then in spring practice, he worked on mastering his roles in Bell’s scheme.
Part of the development was easy. He felt comfortable lining up as a receiver after his coaches used him as a vertical threat in high school.
Other aspects took more work. Hayward had never lined up in the backfield, and he needed to learn how to pick up rushers and identify blitzes from his vantage point behind the line of scrimmage.
“That’s something I hadn’t really done before,” Hayward said. “Just the head-on collisions in the hole with the linebackers.”
To practice, Hayward embraced the repetitive, physical nature of the Terps’ practices as a way to build muscle memory and familiarity. Plus, he’s focused on his technique.
“He’s able to stay on his blocks more and just press into people,” right guard Maurice Shelton said, emphasizing his words as he held up his hands and pretended to push into a defender. “He’s a big, strong dude, so he’s able to, like, hit people with better leverage and stay on longer, and it’s helping us set the edge on certain plays.”
Hayward has balanced that offensive development with his responsibilities on special teams, too. With assistant head coach Pete Lembo in charge of special teams and tight ends, Hayward has noticed the crossover between the units.
One of Hayward’s roles comes as a rusher on punt returns.
In the season opener against Howard, Hayward barreled toward the punter on one return look late in the first quarter. After the Terps blocked the kick and running back Trey Edmunds scooped it for a score, Hayward barreled toward him, too, greeting him first with a tight embrace.
Six days later, Hayward celebrated again, this time searching out Hills to punctuate his first touchdown in red and black.
“Whatever gets us in the end zone,” Hayward said, “is what I’m trying to do.”
