Two names that are coming along well at a thin position for South Carolina football
At the tight end position, South Carolina is in a better spot than last year, but not by all that much.
A career-ending health condition and a transfer meant two of the top three players at the position were out for 2019, leaving sturdy journeyman Kyle Markway to hold down the position with converted offensive lineman Chandler Farrell as the next option up. Nick Muse languished waiting for an NCAA transfer waiver that eventually came, shoring up the position until he got hurt two-thirds of the way through the season.
Markway is gone and Muse is now in the lead role, but the group behind him is still full of question marks. The Gamecocks almost assuredly at least talked to Colorado State transfer Trey McBride before he decided to return to that program, but two USC players have at least caught the eye of the veteran Muse.
“We got KeShawn Toney and Will Register really stepped up this year,” Muse said. “Will is looking like a new Will, more confident, more experienced. He’s starting to learn the ins and outs as well as Markway used to do. So them two are looking really good.”
Tight end is often a tricky spot because it trends toward a developmental position. High school players at tight end tend to be much more of blockers or receiver types and have to round out their games at a position that asks them to do a lot.
Register and Toney have been asked to do some different things through their times in Columbia. Register is a player who played a consistent special teams role last season, and in spring of 2019 Bobby Bentley wanted a little more from him as a physical blocker at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds.
Toney was a player who impressed teammates and coaches heading into 2019 with his approach and effort, getting in extra time in the film room and asking more questions. He came in a bit on the smaller side (6-foot-2) and had to transition from playing at a small high school.
The team will be without Jaheim Bell through the start of the season, and Eric Shaw has missed all of camp, leaving only two other listed tight ends. (Players and coaches said transfer Adam Prentice is still more of a fullback, even if he was used to do a lot of tight end things at his last school.)
Traevon Kenion was an intriguing talent when he arrived on campus, but he’s been slowed in his development by injuries and missing time in both his first spring and preseason. Keveon Mullins was a wide receiver who didn’t see the field last year and now stands at a bulked up 6-foot-1, 245 pounds, up more than 35 from arriving on campus last summer.
“Tre Kenion is starting to step up and bring some confidence,” Muse said. “Keveon Mullins is as fast as it gets as a tight end, so he’s gonna bring a level that we haven’t had for a while since basically Hayden Hurst with speed and stuff.”
Each of them seemingly provide a higher athletic ceiling, but neither appears to be all that close to reaching it just yet.
Bobo noted Muse is on a bit of a pitch count as he recovers from an ACL injury, but the coach likes his approach. With the rest of them, it’s a learning process, figuring out who can do what.
“Behind (Muse) I see some talented guys,” Bobo said. “They just didn’t get a lot of snaps. Now you want them to play the position and gain confidence, learning how to play tight end.
“It takes time. So, those guys are learning, but I think we have some athletic guys that we can do some stuff with them.”
This story was originally published August 29, 2020 at 5:22 AM.
