Shane Beamer shares how wide receivers and tight ends complement each other in spring practice
As South Carolina concludes its nine spring practice, head coach Shane Beamer shared how the wide receivers and tight ends have been working well as a team. Both positions have grown individually but their skillsets have also complemented each other well.
“I think both of those groups, tight ends and receivers are doing a good job of complementing each other,” Beamer said. “There may be a day where it’s you know a little bit more tight end personnel groupings. It may be a day where it might be a little bit more one tight end, three receiver personnel groupings and being able to get all those guys in different positions.”
Throughout spring training, many different players at tight end have gotten reps in different game situations.
“You know Josh Simon has been solid, Nick Elksnis is solid, Brady Hunt, Connor Cox, Reid Mikeska has been banged up. He got back out and did a little bit in the scrimmage on Saturday, which was good to see him back out there. We need him, Reid, really come along here these two weeks,” Beamer said.
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Highly regarded freshman Mazeo Bennett continued to shine throughout spring scrimmages. Bennett, a highly recruited four-star wide receiver who was at one time committed to Tennessee before committing to and singing with the Gamecocks, enrolled early and has been a spring standout.
“Jared Brown had a really nice catch and run the other day in the scrimmage,” Beamer said. “If you want to talk about people that stepped up and had great Saturdays, Mazeo Bennett. At receiver, had a great Saturday, like you noticed him and the moment wasn’t too big for him.”
Brown, a Coastal Carolina transfer, caught 58 passes for 740 yards with four touchdowns last season for the Chanticleers. But with new depth added to the wide receiver room, South Carolina looks to capitalize on their strengths like speed.
“We don’t have a necessarily 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4 guy out there running around right now. But what we do have are guys that run good routes, they’re quick and we got to continue to find ways to get them the ball because they’re good with the ball in their hands.”
