Kimrey provides thoughts on skillsets in tight end room

With the decision of Nick Muse to return to South Carolina as a Super Senior and the transfer addition of E.J. Jenkins to the roster -- along with several other returning players with various different qualities -- first-year tight ends coach Erik Kimrey takes over a unit that could be one of the deepest, most impactful positions on the team.

"I'm excited about this group of great tight ends," Kimrey said Friday. "I think it's a diverse group in terms of their skillset. ... A great group of young men more than anything and again they bring a very diverse skillset to our room and to our offense."

While most of the players in Kimrey's room are still light on SEC experience, other than Muse who enters his third year with the program after transferring in from William & Mary, the former Hammond head coach has several players who appear to have the potential to make an impact this year.

As Kimrey details, they also have the versatility to be used in a variety of ways in new offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield's scheme.

Kimrey went into detail each...

Senior Nick Muse:

"Nick Muse has been outstanding this spring. He’s an absolute professional in everything that he does. He’s the first guy in the building. He knows pretty much everybody’s positions in this offense, probably better than I do. And he does all the little things right. It’s everything you want in a guy that you coach — Nick does that and he sets the example for the entire room."

Senior Pat Reedy:

"Pat Reedy is another senior that is a walk-on guy and gives a lot of effort and gives us some size down there."

Redshirt senior (transfer) E.J. Jenkins:

"E.J. Jenkins is a hybrid type of guy that we are still figuring out exactly how we want to use him, but he's got a lot of weapons. He’s a very long guy, he's pushing 6-8, I think he's got a wingspan of something like 82 inches. He can really run and is a very eager guy in terms of learning, very humble. I love E.J. He’s a great kid."

(Cont.)

"He is just absorbing as much knowledge as possible right now, not just as a tight end and blocking and C gap areas, but also getting with (wide receivers coach Justin) Stepp sometimes and myself and route running and some of the tricks and crafts that Justin does such a good job of teaching out there. He’s really trying to understand and embrace all that at one time, and he has improved dramatically within four or five practices, and I see as a guy that I’m looking forward to watching in the fall. He’s certainly a matchup issue for guys because of his length."

Redshirt sophomore Keveon Mullins:

"Key Mullins brings a kind of speed factor on the perimeter. He’s still got to get a little more confidence in blocking but it’s something that he’s working on and improving."

Sophomore Jaheim Bell:

"Jaheim Bell is an outstanding athlete (and) again a guy you can use in multiple ways. He's one of the strongest guys on the team and he can carry the football, he can block on the perimeter, he can run routes, he can do almost everything."

(Cont.)

"He’s a guy you can move around so much with a variety of motions, that you can hand him the ball here and there. So, again, he’s a very strong individual, I think he squats close to 600 pounds or something insane like that. And he’s a very good athlete on the perimeter, can run routes, can block, can carry the ball, and so he’s a guy that we can see having the potential of utilizing a lot this coming fall."

Redshirt sophomore Traevon Kenion:

"Trae Kenion has had a fantastic spring; he's really coming around. He understands the offense on a high level. He brings something in the running game and the passing game; he kind of the all-around guy."

Sophomore Eric Shaw:

"Eric Shaw is a young guy, he's long, he's got a little bit thicker and get in the weight room but he flashes at times running routes."

Redshirt freshman Jesse Sanders:

"Jesse Sanders is a (walk-on) guy that's in our room now too. He's coming off an ACL injury, hurt his knee the same day that MarShawn (Lloyd) did. Wonderful human being and brings a great presence and spirit to our room."