Locklan Hewlett will never forget his first official collegiate pass.
The St. Augustine High School alum, now a true freshman at South Florida, turned a fake punt into a 45-yard touchdown toss that helped spark the Bulls to Thursday’s 34-7 upset of No. 25 Boise State.
In a single snap, Hewlett delivered ESPN SportsCenter’s play of the day.
The play came on 4th-and-6 from USF’s own 40-yard line. Hewlett, lined up in punt formation, caught the snap and delivered a strike to wideout Keshaun Singleton, who shimmied away from defenders before scampering to the end zone.
The trick play put USF ahead 17-7 and swung momentum for good.
Special teams coordinator Chad Creamer told USF Athletics that the call was months in the making. “We practiced it all offseason,” he said, noting that Hewlett’s build resembled punter Chase Leon’s, which helped disguise the play.
Head coach Alex Golesh said afterward that the touchdown flipped the game’s momentum. “That changed everything. It was teetering back and forth, and then that flipped the whole game,” Golesh told The Oracle.
For Hewlett, the highlight was the latest chapter in a career that began at St. Augustine High, where he starred as the Yellow Jackets’ quarterback.
He said he didn’t quite expect his first college throw to arrive from the punter’s spot. “I was like, ‘Are we really going to run this?’” he told The Oracle.
