Kenny Tate came to Maryland to run fast and straight ahead.
Now, he’s running backwards and all over the field.
The Terrapins’ most prolific recruit has switched from wide receiver to strong safety to increase his chances of playing as a freshman on a team that’s predicted by the national media as one of the worst in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder is no stranger to playing defense, as he made 48 tackles and four interceptions during his senior season at DeMatha, one of the country’s best teams. But he always was the best player on the field, meaning he didn’t need to worry about proper technique to dominate the opposition.
“I haven’t backpedaled in a long time,” said Tate, who had 32 catches for 489 yards and six touchdowns as a senior. “I had to loosen the hips a little bit. I had to get back to learning the fundamentals and making it muscle memory.”
In late July, Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen met with Tate and Tate’s parents and asked him to switch positions. Friedgen’s request came a few months after he told Tate, one of the country’s most sought-after recruits, he would play receiver if he came to College Park. Tate chose Maryland over many schools with a superior football team, including Illinois, Penn State, Florida, Ohio State and Michigan — all of whom wanted him as a receiver.
“Coach [Friedgen] is trying to do whatever we possibly can to get as many playmakers, as many good players on the field as we possibly can,” Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin said. “Could he have helped us on offense this year? I think he probably could have. But we have more depth there than at the position he’s going to.”
Tate’s move was necessitated because the Terrapins have a whopping, 14 receivers on scholarship.
“He’s a big kid,” said junior Darrius Heyward-Bey, the Terrapins’ best receiver. “Just watching him run routes over the summer, he has a big frame,” Heyward-Bey said. “On either side of the ball, having that guy out on the field that’s good things for us.”
Tate is competing with seniors Jeff Allen, who is currently atop the depth chart, and Drew Robinson for the starting job on a unit that graduated three starters this past spring.
“I know most of the defense, because Dennard Wilson, who is a Maryland grad, was one of my coaches for two years [at DeMatha],” Tate said. “We incorporated the defense from Maryland. You’ve got to have a little mean streak to play defense. My mean side is going to come out a little bit.”
