Cardinal Newman’s Jacob August in the mix for Gamecocks TEs

The Gamecocks football team worked on its two-tight end looks a good deal during three open practices this week, and when the starters took the field, one player wasn’t part of the standard first-team depth chart.

Big No. 40 and Columbia’s own.

Jacob August, the walk-on from Cardinal Newman, was out there, hand on the ground next to the line, allowing Hayden Hurst to operate out in space. August isn’t cemented into any particular role, but he’s very much in the mix.

“Right now, I think he’s doing a great job,” tight ends coach Pat Washington said. “K.C. [Crosby] was out the first couple of weeks and so Jacob did a hell of a job stepping in. He’s doing a nice job. We’re still evaluating right now, still in the process. We’ll see how it’s going to unfold later.”

Hurst has seemed to separate himself as a No. 1 option, but Crosby, a former four-star recruit, battled a chest injury and Kyle Markway has been sidelined by ankle surgery. Even with Crosby back, August seems to have held his own.

The product of a local SCISA school, August turned down offers from Temple and Southern Miss to walk on following a year in prep school. He almost landed at Penn State before the hometown team kept him around.

As a redshirt freshman, he held a spot at the edge of the rotation behind Jerell Adams, collecting four catches for 38 yards and a touchdown.

He was a big player at 6-foot-6, but the new staff wanted a little less of him.

“He’s probably about 250 right now,” Washington said. “Last year, I think he was about 260-something. So I guess 10 pounds or so.”

The old offense demanded less mobility from its tight ends. From now on they’ll move around more, before the snap, after the snap.

Even if August ends up a stouter, more powerful member of the group, he’ll be making a move of his own.

“I just think 250 is a good weight for him,” Washington said, “as long as he’s strong enough and he can handle the point of attack, because you’ve got to run around as a tight end in this system. So I think it’s good for him.”

Comeback trail

Washington still has faith Markway could have an impact on the 2016 season before it’s all said and done. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound sophomore got more time as his first college campaign went on.

He’s a little sturdier than some of the others at his position, making him a good candidate for an in-line role more heavy on blocking. He was a three-star prospect out of school and considered by some to be top-20 at his position in his class.

“I’m looking forward to getting him back because he did have a really good spring,” Washington said. “I’m expecting him to really contribute. He’s been really focused in our meetings. That’s the way he is right now, learning through osmosis.”

The next generation

The Gamecocks likely won’t rely on any first-year tight ends, but the group has potential.

Robert Tucker and Evan Hinson are both prototypical modern tight ends, tall and athletic with potential to develop as blockers. Kiel Pollard joined the group later, and his short, thick build (6-foot, 230 pounds) makes him a bit of a wild card.

Hinson showed some power as a blocker in camp, but he’s still young and part of a team that asks a lot of its tight ends.

“Had no idea the things we’d ask him to do,” Washington said. “He’s learning. He’s getting better. It’s reps. You’re going to have to do it over and over and over and over. Somewhere down the line, they’ll get it.”

This story was originally published August 19, 2016 at 1:40 PM.