Dubbed 'The Terminator,' Purdue Rush End Will Heldt Poised for Breakout Season
Halloween is still more than two months away, but Purdue defensive coordinator Kevin Kane already has a costume idea for rush end Will Heldt. The sophomore's dominance on the field through the first two weeks of fall camp has brought back memories of a 1984 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.
"He's the Terminator out there, man," Kane said. Rush ends coach Joe Dineen echoed those comments, saying, "Will has kind of turned into a monster right now."
Look at last year's numbers, and you might be surprised that Heldt is the one receiving comparisons to Schwarzenegger. He finished his freshman campaign with 12 tackles, including eight solo stops and a tackle for loss — solid stats for a true freshman, but nothing eye-popping.
What has helped Heldt on the field is the experienced he gained by playing in all 12 games for the Boilermakers a season ago. With a full year under his belt, Heldt feels more comfortable on the field, allowing him to play faster and freer.
"Just being in my second year in the scheme, I feel like I have a much better feel for what's going on," Heldt said. "Being able to use that, acting fast and using my abilities, my length and my speed to win."
Heldt's rise to stardom began in mid-April during Purdue's spring game. The sophomore rush end looked like a completely different player, recording a pick-six while in pass coverage.
Chalk one up for the defense 🔨⬇️@WillHeldt8 drops into coverage and takes one to the house! pic.twitter.com/JI6brTayfT
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) April 13, 2024
Coach Ryan Walters immediately raised his expectations for Heldt.
"It's night and day (difference from last year)," Walters said of Heldt after the spring game. "You always make that big jump between freshman and sophomore season and definitely thought he has done so, so far. He's built like a grown man. He's still only 19 but looks like an adult. Looking forward to him playing like one this fall."
Since the conclusion of his freshman season, Heldt has beefed up without sacrificing in other skill areas. He played at 250 pounds in 2023. This year, he'll take the field at a 265-pound playing weight.
Heldt has the size, strength and speed to be an effective pass rusher for Purdue this coming season. But Walters and his staff are also comfortable putting the sophomore into pass coverage in certain situations.
Those comparisons to "The Terminator" are starting to make sense, aren't they?
"He's got speed, he's taken a leadership role in the room — he's just disruptive," Dineen said. "He's really smart, so he's going to pick up on little cues that the offense gives him. He can rush with speed, rush with power and he just knows where to be. He just seems to be in the right spot at the right time. And that's a credit to him and how he attacks the game from the mental side. Guys like that are fun to coach."
With a great nickname comes great responsibilities. Heldt is not only expected to be a more productive player for the Boilermakers this fall, he's somewhat of an authority figure in the rush ends room.
Heldt is the only returning player at his position from last year's team. Although the Boilers are confident about the incoming talent at rush end, it's on the sophomore to lead that group by example.
For most sophomores, that might be a lot of pressure. But most sophomores don't draw comparisons to Schwarzenegger.
"As the only guy returning in my room from last year, I feel a little bit of a responsibility to lead," Heldt said. "Bring that pass rush that we've had from previous years and keep the standard the standard."
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