More notes from USC's recent media day with Gamecock assistant coaches...
Not many assistant coaches have been a part of the SEC as long as Gamecock tight ends coach Pat Washington. He played at Auburn, and has almost 20 years of experience on four other different SEC staffs – Tennessee, Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Missouri. During his career, he’s coached running backs and wide receivers before moving over to tight ends with the Gamecocks.
In short, the guy has coached – and coached against – some really good players. I asked Washington if he felt that USC has been able to flip the roster at the skill positions on offense to where it’s now a legitimate SEC group.
“Yes, I think so,” he said. “The only setback is that we’ve got some young receivers coming in. You anticipate one thing and I’ve been there before, sometimes it doesn’t quite pan out the way you thought it would. Hopefully they’re good enough to compete with the guys here right now. They stay healthy and the young guys come in and play the way we think they’re capable of playing, tight ends continue to get better, then Rico, Ty’son, AJ, three really good backs, Jake being your quarterback. It’s a matter of finding the right combination and I believe we’ll have a group that can compete on any given Saturday.”
Washington will have some capable players to work with at his position group, with four guys that played last season in Hayden Hurst, KC Crosby, Jacob August, and Kiel Pollard all returning. Will Register will enroll this summer, but two players who took a redshirt last season will get into the mix this spring in Kyle Markway and Evan Hinson. Washington offered up his thoughts on both:
Markway: “I have never really seen a healthy Kyle Markway. He’s been pretty much injured, not that it’s his fault, since I’ve been here. I’m looking forward to having a healthy Kyle Markway. When he came back for bowl practice, he pulled his hamstring. We were about to get some good work. He has the ability to do a lot of things for us.”
Hinson: “He was exactly what we thought he was going to be, pretty raw yet athletic. New to the position, got a lot to learn. It was tough for him initially but he’s embracing the position, understanding the position. He knows now, the weight room has to be his friend; he has to add weight to handle the tasks at tight end. He’s got the skills to play out wide and he can run very well. He could be a great combination for us in a lot of different ways. He’s with basketball now so the summer will have to be his friend.”
Co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon echoed Washington’s sentiments about USC’s roster turnaround. McClendon’s thoughts centered not just around talent, but also regarding USC’s level of experience.
“I think we’ve taken a huge step in that we’ve gotten off level one right now. Not just offensively but defensively, special teams. Now it’s not what to do or even how to do it, but let’s understand exactly why we’re doing it. “
“How many guys have come back that have played a bunch of ball as opposed to what we had last season where really nobody had played? Not to say it will be completely different, but you have rooms now where guys understand what it’s going to take to be successful. What habits do I need to have to have those days and how do I work to get those habits?”
The Gamecocks nabbed a trio of four-star wide receiver prospects in the 2017 class in OrTre Smith, Shi Smith, and Chad Terrell. McClendon said that OrTre Smith (already on campus participating in spring ball) and Terrell will begin learning outside receiver positions, while Shi Smith could play any of the three, comparing him to a current Gamecock standout.
“Shi has the ability to be able to play all three,” McClendon said. “He has the quickness, length and toughness to play inside. He has the quickness, acceleration and length to be outside. Deebo (Samuel) is one of those guys that can do both.”
Speaking of Shi Smith, I relayed a story to him in which I was watching a session of USC’s camp this summer in which Smith took a rep at cornerback, broke on the ball and defended the pass. Will Muschamp was talking on the telephone in the middle of the field, watching the action and gave McClendon a little wink. I asked McClendon if he was worried about Muschamp trying to recruit Smith over to the defensive side of the ball.
“Nah. He knows we like scoring points too,” he laughed.
Not many assistant coaches have been a part of the SEC as long as Gamecock tight ends coach Pat Washington. He played at Auburn, and has almost 20 years of experience on four other different SEC staffs – Tennessee, Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Missouri. During his career, he’s coached running backs and wide receivers before moving over to tight ends with the Gamecocks.
In short, the guy has coached – and coached against – some really good players. I asked Washington if he felt that USC has been able to flip the roster at the skill positions on offense to where it’s now a legitimate SEC group.
“Yes, I think so,” he said. “The only setback is that we’ve got some young receivers coming in. You anticipate one thing and I’ve been there before, sometimes it doesn’t quite pan out the way you thought it would. Hopefully they’re good enough to compete with the guys here right now. They stay healthy and the young guys come in and play the way we think they’re capable of playing, tight ends continue to get better, then Rico, Ty’son, AJ, three really good backs, Jake being your quarterback. It’s a matter of finding the right combination and I believe we’ll have a group that can compete on any given Saturday.”
Washington will have some capable players to work with at his position group, with four guys that played last season in Hayden Hurst, KC Crosby, Jacob August, and Kiel Pollard all returning. Will Register will enroll this summer, but two players who took a redshirt last season will get into the mix this spring in Kyle Markway and Evan Hinson. Washington offered up his thoughts on both:
Markway: “I have never really seen a healthy Kyle Markway. He’s been pretty much injured, not that it’s his fault, since I’ve been here. I’m looking forward to having a healthy Kyle Markway. When he came back for bowl practice, he pulled his hamstring. We were about to get some good work. He has the ability to do a lot of things for us.”
Hinson: “He was exactly what we thought he was going to be, pretty raw yet athletic. New to the position, got a lot to learn. It was tough for him initially but he’s embracing the position, understanding the position. He knows now, the weight room has to be his friend; he has to add weight to handle the tasks at tight end. He’s got the skills to play out wide and he can run very well. He could be a great combination for us in a lot of different ways. He’s with basketball now so the summer will have to be his friend.”
Co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon echoed Washington’s sentiments about USC’s roster turnaround. McClendon’s thoughts centered not just around talent, but also regarding USC’s level of experience.
“I think we’ve taken a huge step in that we’ve gotten off level one right now. Not just offensively but defensively, special teams. Now it’s not what to do or even how to do it, but let’s understand exactly why we’re doing it. “
“How many guys have come back that have played a bunch of ball as opposed to what we had last season where really nobody had played? Not to say it will be completely different, but you have rooms now where guys understand what it’s going to take to be successful. What habits do I need to have to have those days and how do I work to get those habits?”
The Gamecocks nabbed a trio of four-star wide receiver prospects in the 2017 class in OrTre Smith, Shi Smith, and Chad Terrell. McClendon said that OrTre Smith (already on campus participating in spring ball) and Terrell will begin learning outside receiver positions, while Shi Smith could play any of the three, comparing him to a current Gamecock standout.
“Shi has the ability to be able to play all three,” McClendon said. “He has the quickness, length and toughness to play inside. He has the quickness, acceleration and length to be outside. Deebo (Samuel) is one of those guys that can do both.”
Speaking of Shi Smith, I relayed a story to him in which I was watching a session of USC’s camp this summer in which Smith took a rep at cornerback, broke on the ball and defended the pass. Will Muschamp was talking on the telephone in the middle of the field, watching the action and gave McClendon a little wink. I asked McClendon if he was worried about Muschamp trying to recruit Smith over to the defensive side of the ball.
“Nah. He knows we like scoring points too,” he laughed.
