USC tight end Trey Knox makes splash in spring game as Spencer Rattler’s newest weapon
When South Carolina coach Shane Beamer and his staff gathered to decide on spring practice awards, quarterback Spencer Rattler was an obvious choice for offensive MVP.
But he wasn’t a unanimous choice.
A few coaches in the room lobbied for tight end newcomer Trey Knox, even if it meant naming him co-MVP alongside USC’s starting quarterback. Knox, a 6-foot-5 transfer from Arkansas, only arrived in Columbia a few months ago, but he’s quickly endeared himself to his teammates and coaches.
In Saturday night’s spring game at Williams-Brice Stadium, it was easy to understand why.
The chemistry between Rattler and Knox was evident from the opening snaps of the game, as the quarterback looked Knox’s way early and often — in much the same way Rattler would look for former USC tight end Nate Adkins during the team’s end-of-year offensive breakout last season.
Serving as a key safety valve, Knox led all receivers with six receptions on Saturday night, accruing 40 yards. Playing with Rattler and other established targets such as Antwane Wells Jr. and Ahmarean Brown on the Black team, Knox caught the first touchdown of the night for either side, hauling in a 3-yard strike from Rattler. The tight end was able to slip past linebacker Pup Howard and avoid the hot pursuit of defensive back DQ Smith, whom Knox joked “tried to kill me” with a big hit.
“Trey has been a great add-on to our team,” Rattler said after the game. “Very selfless, great leader, experienced guy in this conference, and he played really well tonight. I was happy to give him his first touchdown in Willy B.”
Knox was quite happy, too, soaking up his first experience playing in front of fans at Williams-Brice Stadium. Even though the graduate student has plenty of experience playing in the SEC during his time at Arkansas, his Gamecocks debut felt different. It was something special.
“So first things first, those lights are the real deal,” Knox said of his stadium experience. “I want that injected in my veins, and hearing ‘Sandstorm’ in here for the first time, it just did something to me.
“I’m very excited to be in here come September.”
If the spring is any indication, Knox figures to serve as an important offensive weapon for the Gamecocks once the 2023 season kicks off. USC built its tight end room from the ground up after losing Adkins to graduation and Jaheim Bell to the transfer portal, among other losses.
Western Kentucky transfer Joshua Simon and Florida transfer Nick Elksnis were both significant additions to that room, with Simon finishing just behind Knox with five receptions (26 yards) for the opposing Garnet team. Beamer said Saturday that he believes this year’s tight end group is more well-rounded and versatile than last year’s.
But Knox, a converted wide receiver, figures to get the the first crack at starting tight end, especially considering his former Arkansas tight ends coach Dowell Loggains is now his offensive coordinator at USC. Both Loggains and Beamer have praised Knox for the leadership role he’s taken on offense, thanks in large part to his familiarity with the way Loggains operates.
Knox has embraced that role. Even as he discussed his performance following the spring game, he was quick to point out the production of the other tight ends, like Simon, behind him and to emphasize the strength of the room as a whole.
“The guys look to me when they need anything,” Knox said. “And I take that not lightly at all because I’ve been playing this game in this conference for a lot of years. And I’ve done some things that weren’t very good and done some things that were very good. And I just want to pass that along, because I don’t want them to struggle like I did. If they can skip those struggles and have successes, that’s great.
“I want to make plays, but we’re only as good as the guys behind me that make plays. We want to be the best room as possible.”
This story was originally published April 16, 2023 at 9:01 AM.
