Tight end Hayden Hurst earns scholarship with Gamecocks

Sophomore tight end Hayden Hurst, who emerged during spring practice as one of South Carolina’s top offensive targets, has been placed on scholarship, the school announced Friday.

Hurst, 22, joined the Gamecocks last year after spending two years playing minor league baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Under the terms of Hurst’s pro baseball contract, the Pirates paid the in-state part of his tuition at USC ($11,500 annually), however the Florida native is charged out-of-state tuition ($30,000 annually).

“That’s why I’m working my tail off to try to earn (a scholarship),” Hurst said in March.

After catching eight passes for 106 yards and starting one as a wide receiver last season, Hurst was moved to tight end by first-year offensive coordinator Kurt Roper. Hurst quickly became South Carolina’s top option at the position and will head into fall camp as the projected starter.

Hurst graduated from The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla., where he was a football and basketball standout.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 1:08 PM with the headline "Tight end Hayden Hurst earns scholarship with Gamecocks."