Tight end position could be major strength for South Carolina football in 2024

Arguably the deepest position on the South Carolina football roster (at least on offense) is the tight end group. Despite losing Trey Knox to the NFL after last season, the Gamecocks feel confident in three, four, or even five players in the tight end room heading into the fall.

Shawn Elliott is the new tight ends coach (and run game coordinator), replacing the outgoing Jody Wright, who is now the head coach of the Murray State Racers. Between Wright and Elliott, former wide receivers coach Justin Stepp was in the position for a short time before he left to become the receivers coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini.

With some questions remaining about the wide receiver unit, the tight ends could be called upon to play a big role in Dowell Loggains' offense in 2024.

Here's a preview of what the tight end position could be like for the 2024 version of the South Carolina football team.

Projected Starter: Josh Simon
Could Also Play: Brady Hunt, Michael Smith, Moe Brown, Connor Cox
Names to Watch for the Future: Michael Smith, Moe Brown, Connor Cox, Reid Mikeska

The Gamecocks return pseudo-starter Josh Simon (he was listed as one of two tight end starters last season despite not being the first tight end on the field in one tight end sets) and several young players in the tight end room, the transfer portal brought in former Freshman All-American Brady Hunt, and the high school recruiting class included the highest-rated tight end prospect in program history in Georgia native Michael Smith.

Simon was in his first year with the Gamecocks in 2023 after spending four years at Western Kentucky. As a 6th-year senior, the South Carolina native is poised for a breakout showing. Last year, Simon showed himself to be a dynamic player with the ball in his hands, running through smaller players and around slower ones after the catch. He is also a willing blocker, something that only will improve under Shawn Elliott's tutelage.

One of the best "backup" tight ends in the country, Brady Hunt could be a major weapon for starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers if Hunt can stay healthy. The former Ball State Cardinals star could be listed as a starter alongside Simon but should play a lot no matter how he is designated on the depth chart.

Michael Smith didn't enroll at USC until the summer, but the talented youngster is the biggest player in the room (listed at 6'6" and 255 pounds) and moves better than some wide receivers. It seems unrealistic that the Gamecocks' offensive coaching staff would leave him off the field this fall despite his inexperience.

Walk-on Moe Brown could be the next man up at the tight end position. A contributor on special teams a year ago, he is among the faster players on the team (he reportedly was clocked running over 21 miles per hour at practice this summer) while weighing 250 pounds. Brown is strong enough to help out in the blocking game and could be utilized in multiple tight end/h-back roles this fall if he gets a chance to play.

Connor Cox and Reid Mikeska were true freshmen in 2023 but didn't play much in their first year in Columbia. Mikeska has battled a lot of injuries already in his college career, but he has good size and really impressive high school tape. He probably doesn't have a role in this year's game plan, but he is a name to watch in the future. The same can be said about Cox, though, he has less upside as a receiver than Mikeska and more blocking ability. Nick Elksnis will provide depth at the position and is tied with Michael Smith as the biggest tight end on the roster.

Simon, Hunt, and Smith will play this fall, and Brown likely will, too. Whether or not they all have big roles could be dependent upon how much the wide receiver room steps up, but the South Carolina football coaching staff has to be happy with their abundance of quality tight ends.

The Gamecocks are just 15 days away from their first kickoff of the season, an August 31st contest at Williams-Brice Stadium against the Old Dominion Monarchs.