Will Nick Muse return? Gamecocks’ new tight ends coach gives encouraging update
Nothing’s official yet, but South Carolina football’s new tight ends coach certainly seems confident that the Gamecocks’ top player at the position will return for another season.
Erik Kimrey has been a part of new head coach Shane Beamer’s staff for only a couple of days, but he’s taken the time to speak with senior Nick Muse, who led the tight end unit in 2020 with 30 catches, 425 yards and a touchdown. And from that conversation, Kimrey said, he got a positive indication that Muse will be back.
“Had a great conversation, and I feel confident that he’s gonna be back next year,” Kimrey said. “He’s still working through some things in terms of talking to some people, but we had a wonderful conversation. He seems like a great guy and I look forward to him coming back and being a great leader on this team. We need him.”
Muse had participated in the team’s Senior Day ceremony toward the end of the year, generally an indication that a player has decided to move on. But after that senior game, he said he would return if the Gamecocks retained tight ends coach Bobby Bentley.
On Monday, Beamer declined to say whether Bentley might still stay with USC in any particular role. But most of the offensive staff has been filled out and Bentley wasn’t among the batch of four returning coaches Beamer has already announced he will retain.
Still, getting Muse to return would mark an early success story for Beamer and Kimrey. He’s caught 47 career passes in two seasons at South Carolina since transferring from William & Mary, racking up 583 yards. If he does stay, he would be the Gamecocks’ top returning receiving option with more than double the receiving yards of any other returning player.
But Muse’s return isn’t guaranteed just yet. He told SportsTalk Media Network on Sunday night that he has spoken with Beamer but hasn’t made a final decision. He also said he’s been told his NFL Draft stock would currently put him around Rounds 4-7.
Last offseason, South Carolina lost its top tight end when Kyle Markway declined to return for a sixth season. This year, Muse could come back as a result of the NCAA’s decision to grant every player a year of eligibility back. Behind him, the Gamecocks have just two other tight ends that caught a pass in 2020 — redshirt freshman Keveon Mullins, who had three receptions for 110 yards, and freshman Jaheim Bell, who had one catch for 29 yards.
This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 11:19 AM.
