100 days from South Carolina Football: 10 players who must make a jump in 2023
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football Needs Trey Knox to Live Up to His Limitless Potential
Tight end Trey Knox is a beast. At 6’5″ tall and 250 pounds, he is still a plus athlete who will still be a threat after catching the football. He’s going to be a contributor for the 2023 Gamecocks, but tight ends coach Jody Wright is counting on the former Arkansas Razorback to be one of the offense’s best players. Knox’s familiarity with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and Justin Stepp should help (both coaches were Knox’s position coaches at Arkansas; Stepp coached him when he was a wide receiver, and Loggains coached him after he moved to tight end).
Knox will not be burdened with being the only good tight end on the roster. Western Kentucky transfer Joshua Simon and Florida transfer Nick Elksnis will ease some of his load in the receiving game and blocking assignments, respectively. Big receivers like Xavier Legette and 5-star freshman Nyck Harbor could help out, as well.
Because the workload won’t be completely laid at the feet of Knox, the Gamecocks are going to need the big playmaker to be excellent in his opportunities, something that hasn’t really happened at the tight end spot in Columbia consistently since Hayden Hurst was taken in the 1st round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In recent years Jaheim Bell, Kyle Markway, and others have had moments as Gamecock tight ends, but Knox will be counted on to deliver more than just moments this fall.