Young, inexperienced tight ends must step up for Gamecocks

South Carolina tight ends coach Pat Washington wants five players at his position ready to play every game this season.

But beyond Hayden Hurst, clearly the No 1 tight end on the roster, questions abound, making Saturday’s closed scrimmage paramount for determining spots on the depth chart heading into the Sept. 1 season opener at Vanderbilt.

“I don’t have the five in order right now, we’re still working on it,” Washington said earlier this week. “By the end of Saturday, I’ll have a great idea of exactly where I am.”

Redshirt sophomore K.C. Crosby figures to win the No. 2 tight end job, but the Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School product just returned to practice from a chest injury. The redshirt sophomore possesses the skill set to become a productive tight end in the SEC.

“Just like this spring, he has shown he’s a guy powerful enough to play on the line and he’s swift enough to play outside,” Washington said. “I’m excited where he is. Conditioning-wise, he has to continue working at it to get better, but he will be OK.”

Crosby (listed at 6-1, 227 pounds) is several inches shorter and about 25 pounds lighter than Hurst, but Washington believes size doesn’t matter when playing tight end.

“K.C. is big enough even though he is a lot shorter (than Hurst),” Washington said. “As long as you’re powerful enough and not afraid of contact and you are athletic enough to make people miss in space, I’m OK if you’re 6-1. Size doesn’t matter.”

Local product Jacob August, a 6-6, 248-pound redshirt sophomore from Cardinal High School, appeared in five games last season with three starts, catching four passes for 38 yards and one touchdown.

“Right now, he’s doing a great job,” Washington said. “K.C. was out the first couple of weeks and Jacob did a heckuva job stepping in. We’re still evaluating, so we’ll see how things unfold for him later.”

August has lost about 10 pounds since last season.

“About 250 is a good weight for him as long as he’s strong enough and can handle the point of attack,” Washington said. “You have to be able to run around as a tight end in this system. So, (the weight loss) has been good for him.”

Kyle Markway gained valuable experience last season as a true freshman by contributing mainly on special teams and filling in occasionally at tight end. Markway had a screw inserted into his foot, but is expected to return to the practice field soon.

Once he does, can he make up for lost time and get fully prepared for the season opener?

“I’m looking forward to getting him back,” Washington said. “He had a very good spring, and he did it injured. I’m expecting him to contribute. He is very focused in our meetings. He has learned through osmosis. He will be ready to go because he is a smart young man.”

Markway possesses the necessary strength to block at the point of attack and the athleticism to run routes and catch passes, Washington said.

The encouraging depth at tight end delights Washington and makes for lively practices since players are still competing for spots.

“When you have depth, you have competition,” Washington said. “When you have competition, guys have to go out there and prove themselves every day and you have to be consistent. If they’re not, somebody could move in front of them.”

The Gamecocks signed three tight ends in February – Evan Hinson (also plays hoops), Robert Tucker III and Kiel Pollard (signed as WR, but moved to TE).

“We have some talented young men, although I’m not sure how many of them will play this year,” Washington said. “But we’re excited for the future having those guys.

Pollard (6-0, 230) has made a smooth transition after moving from wide receiver.

“He’s doing a nice job,” Washington said. “It was a little different for him. But he has adjusted to the position.”

The Gamecocks plan to utilize some two tight sets, a major reason Washington wants five tight ends ready for every game.

“We’re going to be pretty versatile in what we do,” Washington said. “We’ll use some two tight end sets because we can do a lot of things with our guys because they are athletic enough to be outside or inside. Our guys can do both.

“We can be a very important part of this offense and we can be anywhere in this offense. Our guys are very excited. We’ll see where it goes, but right now we’re headed in the right direction.”

Besides possessing all the physical attributes, USC’s tight ends are also young. While Hurst turns 23 next week, the entire group consists of freshmen and sophomores. Washington, however, is holding nothing back.

“We’re going to put it all out there,” Washington said. “They have to catch up. But we have to be smart enough as coaches as we prepare for the first game to know what we can and can’t do. You want them out there playing fast and doing what they can do. As coaches, we have to be smart.”