In a literal sense, they'll often stand out above many others on offense, but the tight ends have stood out early and often during LSU's spring practice schedule.
In part, it's due to the elite depth in the room, considering Mason Taylor is back leading that position following a freshman campaign that delivered on Brian Kelly's big promises from the preseason. But two new freshmen have been drawing eyes in Jackson McGohan and Mac Markway this time around.
“I’ve been really pleased," head coach Brian Kelly said. "Didn’t know what to expect, obviously, coming in. We knew they were going to be players that would eventually help us in some fashion. But I think that their play this spring has been more than we expected. So I think we’re excited about what they can do. They’re most likely going to be able to help us in the fall.”
LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock also gave high marks to the young TEs, noting that Markway's ability as a blocker will likely be the key to him getting the most run between the two. McGohan probably needs a year in the weight room before he'll be able to handle SEC blocking assignments, but he's ahead in the receiving and route-running department. Denbrock knows him well, having originally recruited the Ohio native to Cincinnati before the Tigers were able to flip him over to Baton Rouge.
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"I think there’s a good yin and yang and a complement to those two guys that can obviously lend some support to Mason Taylor and some of the other guys in the room and give us a pretty dynamic group in there," Denbrock said.
But at the end of the day, this group is going to be highlighted by Taylor, who hauled in 38 catches for 414 yards and 3 TDs a year ago after drawing comparisons from his head coach to Georgia phenom Brock Bowers. The highlight for Taylor was an athletic grab for a touchdown in the final 2 minutes against Alabama. The Crimson Tide drove for a game-tying field goal, but the Tigers came out ahead in overtime on a gutsy, do-or-die 2-point conversion from Jayden Daniels to Taylor.
For Taylor, some of the most important next steps will come in the weight room, Denbrock explains, with the goal of becoming a more well-rounded TE.
"He’s gonna be what he was in the passing game as far as a very viable target for the quarterback and kind of somebody that he knows he can count on," Denbrock said, "but he’s also going to be able to develop himself into a physical presence that can handle some of the duties that we need in the run game.”
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