Every player on a football team will preach putting the team first and team success over individual accolades, but deep down every player or position group wants to be the focal point of the offense.
Will Register has always been a team guy, playing an integral part on special teams, but is starting to envision a lot of things he can do in Mike Bobo’s new offense.
“As far as the offense, selfishly for the tight ends we love it because we’re seeing a lot more versatile stuff,” Register said after Wednesday’s practice. “We’re playing out wide, we’re coming in and playing full back. It’s been a really fun time.”
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There is a call-in show trope about callers dialing in to talk with Will Muschamp and demanding to throw to the tight ends more. It seems like in Bobo’s system hypothetical fans will have to find something else to call about.
Both tight ends made available to the media—Register and Nick Muse—both raved about the ways they’re being used this season with plenty of multiple tight end sets.
“We have a different way to use a tight end. It’s basically like last year but we added a lot of stuff for us. There’s a way we can go two tight ends for all the way down the field,” Muse said. “At the goal line we do three tight ends, sometimes four tight ends. It’s a different scheme but it’s creative for us and a very good advantage.”
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Entering this season, Muse is the presumed starter at the position but there is a position-wide competition for the No. 2 tight end behind him.
Register, who has one career reception for nine yards the last two seasons after primarily playing on special teams, is one of the main guys vying for the spot.
He’s the oldest player in the room and has looked good in practice so far.
“Will Register, who really stepped up this year,” Muse said. “Will’s looking like a new Will: more confident, more experienced. He’s starting to learn the ins and outs like Markway used to do it.”
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Among Register the Gamecocks have redshirt freshmen Keveon Mullins, Trae Kenion and KeShawn Toney with freshmen Eric Shaw and Jaheim Bell in the room as well.
The Gamecocks are 12 practices into preseason camp and less than a month away from the start of the season.
That gives them roughly three weeks to finish installing the offense and polishing things before kicking off against Sept. 26.
“I love this offense. Coach Bobo is a great coach,” Register said. “He has the same fire and same passion every day when he comes on the football field. You’re going to play hard for coach Bobo, I promise you that."
