Muschamp has high expectations for Gamecocks' tight ends

South Carolina's tight end room lost two senior contributors and its position coach from last season, but head coach Will Muschamp believes he'll continue to see strong play from the position in 2019.

Now that K.C. Crosby and Jacob August have exhausted their eligibility, upperclassmen Kiel Pollard and Kyle Markway will see their snaps rise at the position as Bobby Bentley slides over from running backs to coach the group.

"I don't see any drop-off," Muschamp said of the talent at the position. "I think Kiel is really a guy that's a mismatch in the passing game and he's a guy that can block well enough in the C-area to be fine. Kyle has done a really good job blocking, but he's been a very valuable a receiver for us. You go back to the Missouri game, you go back to the Florida game, where he made big gains in the passing game for us. He's a very dependable player."

While Crosby and August started last season as the two starters, Crosby more of the H-back style receiving threat and August the blocker of the duo, Pollard and Markway saw their snaps rise as the season progressed and injuries chipped away at the starters.

By the end of the season, Pollard actually ended up playing the most snaps, catching 15 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns on 20 targets.

While Markway, more of a blocker, had just three catches on the season, he made the most of them, snatching a touchdown against Florida and a key grab against Missouri that set up the game-winning kick.

If the starters are locked in, the depth behind them is less experienced and less sorted.

A mix of returners and newcomers will compete for the second string spots.

"Evan Hinson has now devoted all of his time to football," Muschamp continued. "I think that's going to help him this summer, to see the progression there, as he continues to improve. Will Register is a young player. KeShawn Toney and Trae Kenion are both young players we're excited about as well."

Toney and Kenion, both true freshmen who are already on campus, impressed Muschamp with their ability this spring and could be the future of the position.

"I thought, willing participant in the blocking situations, which they haven't ever been asked to do, in high school," Muschamp explained. "Both guys, in the throwing game, catch the ball extremely well.

"But tight end's a position that there's a lot of nuance to from a standpoint of you're involved in protection as far as the passing game is concerned, you're involved in the run game as far as the run game is concerned, and then obviously, you've got the route running involved. A lot of times now, in high school, these guys are asked either to be a blocker, or be a receiver, they're not asked to do both, and so there's a learning curve for both those young players that they're going through and that they're going through right now for us."