Position breakdown: tight ends

Gamecock Central is breaking down each position on the football field heading into the 2017 season, with a new position each Monday. This week’s position is the tight end group.

Each week we’ll break down each position, discussing the player to watch and a newcomer who could make an impact this season.

To see a full list of GamecockCentral.com's breakdowns, click here.

The skinny: The tight end corps this year is arguably the best and deepest position group the Gamecocks have heading into 2017.

Both starters, Hayden Hurst and K.C. Crosby, return after stellar sophomore seasons and there are a host of other tight ends who could make an impact as well.

Hurst showed everyone what he could do in offensive coordinator Kurt Roper’s offense, finishing second on the team with 616 receiving yards as a tight end. Crosby was one of Jake Bentley and Perry Orth’s favorite end zone threats, finishing tied for the team lead with four touchdown receptions.

The Gamecocks also have two other tight ends returning who caught at least one pass last season: Kiel Pollard and Jacob August, and Kyle Markway returns after redshirting last year with a foot injury.

Also see: Who plays and who redshirts on offense this year?

Player to watch: K.C. Crosby

Crosby had to wait two years before working his way into the starting lineup, but once he did he was a mainstay. After a medical redshirt his first year on campus and mostly special teams work in 2015, Crosby started nine games last season, all at tight end.

He came up with clutch catches opposite Hayden Hurst on the line, including the eventual game-winning touchdown in an upset over Tennessee in October. He can play all over the field, lining up in different receiver, tight end and H-back spots over his career.

Gamecock fans already know what Hayden Hurst brings to the table, and Crosby showed flashes of what he could do last season as well. The junior should be a more consistent part of the Gamecocks offense this season as the tight ends could be used more in year two under Muschamp.

Also see: Team scoop from camp, plus more on four-star Jaycee Horn

Newcomer to watch: Will Register

He has a long way to go to work his way up the depth chart with Hurst and Crosby locking down the top two spots, but Register is a player to watch over his career at South Carolina.

The tight end out of Chapin High School (S.C.) was the first commitment in Muschamp’s 2017 class and a part of a team that reached the Class 4-A semifinal game in the state championship playoffs last year.

After catching for 251 yards and playing in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas his senior season, Register comes to South Carolina as a four-star prospect.

There are a bevy of veteran players expected to get the bulk of playing time this year, but Register could be a player who makes an impact next season and a lot over the next three to four years.

Also see: Insider notes on Saturday's scrimmage report

Storyline to watch: How many tight ends will the Gamecocks utilize on offense?

Roper showed last season he wasn’t afraid to use the tight ends to his advantage, putting Hurst and Crosby out in space or lining them up at unconventional spots on the field, including sometimes at wide receiver.

Coming into this season, Markway said a lot of what the offense is working on is two and three tight end sets, trying to get as many on the field as possible. It’s a different look for the Gamecocks, who tried at times last season to spread the field with three or four wide-out sets.

With as deep a tight end group as the Gamecocks have to work with, there could be an increase in the amount of time Hurst, Crosby, August, Pollard and the rest of the group sees this season.