By Tim Mastro

DOVER — The Canadian Football League came calling this offseason.

Matthew Derks said, “not yet.”

Derks was selected by the Ottawa Redblacks with the 49th pick of the 2021 CFL Draft back in May. But the offensive lineman elected to return to Delaware State to use his final season of eligibility.

Canada is home for Derks, who grew up in Brantford, Ontario — about an hour outside of Toronto, so there was some pull there. Derks, now a graduate student at Delaware State, said his priority was earning his master’s degree.

“I just love DelState honestly, I’m glad to be here,” Derks said. “I wanted to come back, get my master’s degree and play another year of football, which is a great opportunity for me.”

Derks is one of six graduate students on the Hornets’ 2021 roster. The canceled 2020 fall season and last spring’s abbreviated schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t count against an athlete’s NCAA eligibility, giving all fall athletes one extra year.

The NCAA also gifted athletes a one-time transfer through the new transfer portal, meaning they would not be required to sit out a year if they transferred. But the Hornets didn’t experience too many transfers out of the program. They enter the fall with fourth-year coach Rod Milstead’s biggest roster in his tenure at 105 players in camp.

“We’re very blessed that the transfer portal hasn’t affected us,” Milstead said. “We’re trying to build a culture here where guys want to stay, graduate and then if they can get their master’s, they’ll get their master’s as well. What’s been great to see is them mentoring the younger guys. We’re really building something special.”

Derks leads a group of 17 offensive linemen. Ten of those 17 still have freshman eligibility — either they were freshmen in the spring season and retained that eligibility, or they are 2021 high school graduates in their first year of college football.

Derks, a Preseason All-MEAC First Team selection, said he’s embraced his role as the veteran leader on the offensive line.

“I want to be the positive role model,” he said. “I always make sure I’m doing the right thing and setting the right example for everyone else. I’m trying to be the best I can be to get them to follow my lead and whip them back into shape when they’re not.”

Derks started all five games at guard in Delaware State’s spring season and will be flanked by veterans James King, another graduate student, and Sam Pearson at tackle. Junior Dillon Marshall is projected to start once again at center.

Freshman Rodrigo Escobar received some starts last year at the other guard position while newcomer Brandon Bradford, a transfer from Wesley College, is battling for that starting spot in camp. Freshmen Denzel Bryant, Codie Hornsby, Charles Pierce, Enrique Torres and Aman Orlena also saw some time on the offensive line during the spring season.

Derks said the spring season gave the Hornets a bit of a head start this fall. Delaware State was one of only three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams who chose to compete in the spring.

“It gave us a lot of momentum and positive strides toward our goal,” Derks said. “The chemistry we built on the offensive line, we know we got a great group of guys up there.”