TE Hayden Hurst found himself walking off of a baseball diamond and onto the South Carolina football team in the summer of 2015. After a short stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Hurst burst onto the scene for the Gamecocks.

Hayden Hurst had an exceptional season in 2016. He set the South Carolina school record for receptions for a tight end with 48. He finished the season with 616 yards and 1 TD which came against South Florida in the Birmingham Bowl.

This fall, the pre-season All-SEC selection will be depended on heavily in the offense along with KC Crosby, Kiel Pollard, and Jacob August.

Meet The Tight Ends…

TE – #81 Hayden Hurst, Jr / #40 Jacob August, Jr

TE – #3 KC Crosby, Jr / #87 Kiel Pollard, Soph

*Bold denotes starter

Most To Prove…

KC Crosby. Crosby showed a knack for the big play and will should help take the pressure off of Hayden Hurst this fall. KC was a solid option at TE, as he hauled in 23 catches for 217 yards and four TD’s. The thing that stands out the most is his ability to make the tough catches, a thing that he seemed to do often at times last fall. If Crosby can come into his own and fine his place in this USC offense, he should have a much bigger than expected year for the Gamecocks.

Best Overall…

Hayden Hurst. Hurst burst onto the scene last fall for the Gamecocks, when he set the record for receptions by a tight end with 48. With the insertion of QB Jake Bentley halfway through the year, Hurst solidified himself as a weapon in the offense. Hurst may have the best hands on the roster and is a great option to bail out to on 3rd down passes and when coverage is good down the field. He’s been talked about as one of the hardest working guys off the field and it shows in his play. Look for Hurst to have a breakout season and make a name for himself nationwide this fall.

Season Will Be Successful If…

1st Team All-SEC. While the player who will most likely fill this role is Hayden Hurst, don’t be surprised if KC Crosby has a much better year than people are expecting. The fact of the matter is, this position group is way too deep and talented to not have someone garner All-SEC honors at the end of the season. I expect QB Jake Bentley to make friends with his tight ends early and often in games. This should mean for increased production and the TD numbers from last year to skyrocket from this position group.

Overall Grade…

A+. This position group may be the most loaded on the Gamecocks roster with Hayden Hurst and KC Crosby. Jr. Jacob August is also a very serviceable back-up and the coaches like what they’ve seen from So. Kiel Pollard. Look for Hayden Hurst to have an All-SEC caliber season. Also, KC Crosby comes into 2017 as one of my most underrated players in the conference and should be a real weapon for Jake Bentley to use.

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