Embodying the new age at tight end, Hurst likely to play large role for USC
Along with offensive schemes changing noticeably in college football, so has the role of the tight end.
Fifteen or 20 years ago, before spread offenses began to multiply literally at the speed of light, tight ends were primarily utilized as blockers on the edge. Catching passes? That was a bonus.
Today, those responsibilities have flipped.
The revolution at the tight end position is well underway, and perhaps no Gamecock player embodies the new school approach better than 22-year old sophomore Hayden Hurst (he turns 23 on Aug. 24), who possesses all the attributes coaches look for in a modern tight end.
“When I first started in coaching, we had that tight end attached to the offensive line and we ran power football,” Gamecock tight ends coach Pat Washington said Monday night following practice.
Not anymore.
Hurst is big (6-foot-5, 250 pounds), powerful and fast with excellent hands. He runs routes like a wide receiver, yet is capable of effectively blocking SEC defensive ends at the point of attack. In short, he the modern day tight end wrapped up in a solitary package.
Little wonder Will Muschamp has spoken enthusiastically about Hurst’s expected expanded role in the Gamecocks offense this coming season. Hurst has the skill set to potentially turn into a lethal weapon within offensive coordinator Kurt Roper’s scheme.
“You have to be able to run around as a tight end in this system,” Washington said. “Hayden has receiver skills and can play outside. More importantly, he has gotten better as a blocker. He is more physical at the point of attack, which is really good. That’s something we need. Plus, he can get out and play like a receiver. We’re excited because he can run and he’s strong.”
After joining the USC program last summer following a two-year minor league baseball career in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, Hurst made eight receptions for 106 yards in 2015, including a memorable 47-yard completion at Texas A&M.
Over a year ago, Hurst stepped off the baseball diamond straight onto the gridiron as a rare 22-year old freshman. Age and maturity are key factors in his rise, but not the only ones.
“Age doesn’t mean much as far as preparing for a game, but I’ve had one or two guys like Hayden before,” said Washington, who spent the past three seasons coaching at Missouri (2013-15) following stints at Kentucky (2012), Mississippi State (2007-08) and Tennessee (1995-2005).
“Those guys have a mindset that is a little bit different than an 18- or 19-year old. A lot of those guys know what they want. They’re more mature and focused on what they’re trying to get done. Maybe he wants to play in the NFL one day and he realizes this is his chance to do it.”
As a 17th round choice in the 2012 MLB Draft and now a scholarship football player for an SEC school, Hurst is a better athlete than many people give him credit for.
Washington sees Hurst’s elite athleticism every day in practice.
“(His athleticism) means a lot because that is what tight ends have to do,” Washington said. “Our tight ends are not just stationary guys. They are all over the place. You have to be athletic to play tight end in our offense. They have to catch the football. I don’t always need a big block. But he has gotten better as a blocker.”
After quitting baseball, Hurst quickly discovered college football more to his liking, making six of his eight catches against Tennessee, Florida and The Citadel. Recognizing Hurst’s rare abilities, Muschamp placed him on scholarship in the spring.
“The way the tight ends are used in this offense, there are mismatches”, said Hurst, who grew up in Jacksonville and graduated from The Bolles School. “We’re set up in the slot, we’re spread out wide. For me, that fits my game quite well. If a linebacker matches up with me, I know I can outrun him. If a safety matches up on me, I know I can bully him around. It’s going to be fun.”
Because he mostly lined up at receiver in 2015, Hurst was usually not called upon to block a defensive back at the point attack. But for a tight end, that is an integral component of what they do on a daily basis. Hurst has improved his blocking skills by leaps and bounds over the past eight months.
“Since Day 1, Hayden’s blocking has come a long way,” Washington said. “He is more physical at the point of attack. When you take someone that has been more of an outside guy and you put him in the trenches, it’s a different world. There is more contact. Our practices are every physical.
“The biggest thing is they have to understand the scheme and the concept of what we’re trying to get done. I can’t draw every line that is going to happen. If they understand what we’re running and what we’re trying to do, you can make a great battlefield decision. He’s at the point where he is making those decisions.”
Unlike last season when he started out at tight end and special teams until his move to receiver, Hurst expects to stick at tight end for the entire 2016 season.
“The only thing that caught up with me last year was the playbook and getting comfortable with football again,” Hurst said. “This year, I feel very confident going into the season. Last year, I had trouble with my technique and blocking, getting my footwork right and my hand placement.
“Last year, they switched me around so much I didn’t know the playbook as well as I should have. This year, I have lived in the weight room and buried my head in the playbook. I have completely polished my game. I’m ready to get out there and show it off.”
Going forward, Hurst is the prototypical tight end the Gamecocks are looking for in recruiting. For Washington, size is less important than strength and the willingness to mix it up in the trenches to go along with superb pass catching skills.
“As long as you’re powerful enough and you’re not afraid of contact and you’re athletic enough to make people miss in space, it doesn’t matter if you’re 6-1 or 6-6,” Washington said. “Of course, if you can find a guy like Rob Gronkowski (of the NFL’s New England Patriots), you will take that dude in a heartbeat. But size doesn’t matter.”
