South Carolina is down a key tight end in Nick Muse. Could this freshman help fill in?
A week into the regular season, transfer tight end Nick Muse answered a big question for South Carolina’s football team.
Now, after news broke that his season is done with a torn ACL, the Gamecocks yet again face questions at their tight end spots. But now they’re nine games in and might have some true freshmen a little more ready to answer the call.
The Gamecocks are down to five available scholarship tight ends. One is starter Kyle Markway. One is former offensive lineman Chandler Farrell. Markway starts and Farrell has played a good bit in spots. Will Register has been a special-teamer for the most part in Year 3 on campus.
And freshmen KeShawn Toney and Traevon Kenion have been on the edge of things, Toney playing sparingly and Kenion more sparingly still. Now that might change.
“Absolutely,” Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said. “Trae is a guy that missed a lot of camp with an injury and then got healthy and then rolled his ankle and missed about three or four weeks. It’s just hard when you don’t practice especially for a young player. It’s hard to get on the field and learn what to do, but he’s gonna rep with our offense this week and we’ll get him ready to play in the game.
“KeShawn came in did some situational work. Chandler Farrell continues to do a nice job for us.”
Kenion came to South Carolina as a three-star recruit and the No. 450 player in the country in the 247 Sports composite rankings. After playing tight end as a junior, the 6-foot-3, 235 pounder spent time at receiver in a run-heavy offense and posted 38 receptions for 746 yards and 14 touchdowns, a large proportion of his team’s offense through the air.
He arrived on campus halfway through spring ball and had to play catch up. He has only played in one game, late in a blowout of FCS Charleston Southern.
Toney got on the field a little more, having played in that blowout and in Saturday’s game after Muse got hurt. He’s a bit more of a mobile H-back type, but he impressed the staff in spring and put up 51 catches for 750 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior despite missing time with an injury.
South Carolina’s tight end position has been steadily weakened after projected starter Kiel Pollard had to quit football because of a spinal issue and Evan Hinson transferred away to play basketball. Markway stepped up and has 18 catches for 220 yards and two scores.
The team will either have to rely even more on the veterans or let the freshmen get a bit more run. It could cost Toney his redshirt, and maybe Kenion if the team makes a bowl. USC also lost No. 3 receiver Josh Vann, which hurts their three-receiver looks.
But for now, all options seem out there, including getting Kenion geared up after spending most of the season on the bench.
“We’re going to get Trae up this week,” Muschamp said.
