The good news for South Carolina is quarterbacks, when targeting EJ Jenkins, have a passer rating of 130.2, third-highest on the team and best among receivers with at least five targets.

The only thing is Jenkins has only played 98 snaps and has eight targets, tied for 10th-most on the team with Ahmarean Brown, but could be in line for more snaps coming out of the bye week.

“A lot of it is the way that we do things offensively… We have an X and a Z receiver and an F,” Shane Beamer said. “The X is Josh Vann and EJ Jenkins. So a lot of that took on the simple answer is Josh and EJ are playing the same position and you want Josh in there as much as possible but you want EJ in there as much as well.”

This season Jenkins has five catches on eight targets for 70 yards and a score, an average of 8.8 yards per target primarily playing outside.

Of his 54 snaps on passing plays, 47 have come outside with six in the slot and one in-line at tight end.

Despite primarily playing outside, Beamer mentioned the coaches understand he and Josh Vann could play together on the field simultaneously and Jenkins could bounce to the Z potentially on some plays if they want him on the field at the same time as Vann.

“Before anybody says, ‘Oh, why don't you just be multiple and get EJ on the field and have him play someplace else?’ That’s a great point. So we need to do that. And EJ has continued to improve the practice and has put himself in position to be able to get out there more and more.”

On the depth chart South Carolina releases weekly Jenkins is listed as the backup at one tight end spot behind Nick Muse and Ger-Cari Caldwell is listed as Vann’s backup, but Caldwell hasn’t played offensively since week one.

His limited playing time earlier in the season—according then to Beamer and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield—was his practice habits and needing to be better there.

Jenkins was the topic of conversation all week after a 23-snap performance against Troy, where he caught his first South Carolina touchdown, but logged just 31 snaps over the next two weeks: 12 at Tennessee and 19 against Vanderbilt.

The last game, a 44-14 loss to Texas A&M, Jenkins ended with a season-best 26 snaps per Pro Football Focus with a 60.2 pass grade, his third-highest of the season behind Troy and Vanderbilt.

It wouldn’t be shocking to see Jenkins potentially see more time during the Gamecocks’ stretch run with Beamer wanting to use him in a few different ways, including with Vann on the field at the same time.

Vann is the Gamecocks’ most productive receiver—24 catches for 431 yards—and is responsible for the most explosive plays from any skill position player this season.

“We certainly want to have multiple multiplicity to be able to have Josh Vann and EJ on the field at the same time,” Beamer said. “Part of that is the same position as Josh. Part of that is he's working harder in practice and part of that too is Josh Vann is a pretty spectacular player as well and you want him out there as much as you can also.”

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