Tag: Mac Markway

Nebraska tight end Mac Markway out for 2024 season with torn ACL

Mac Markway will now redshirt for the 2024 season.

Nebraska football transfer tight end Mac Markway has suffered a torn ACL. This was confirmed by head coach Matt Rhule at his press conference Thursday morning, per The Athletic’s Mitch Sherman.

Markway came to the Huskers in August, in what was a very interesting process. He came to Lincoln from LSU, where he caught three passes for 16 yards and a touchdown. He was going to be another weapon for the Nebraska football tight end room, with a group headlined by Thomas Fidone and Nate Boerkircher.

Markway was a four-star prospect as a recruit and the ninth overall player in the 2024 class from the state of Missouri, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Nebraska undoubtedly has tight-end depth for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, there was some intrigue as to what Markway would be able to provide this season. Now, he will unfortunately have to work his way back for the future.

https://twitter.com/mitchsherman/status/1834270229263986877

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Matt Rhule talks about addition of TE Mack Markway

Mack Markway will add to a loaded tight end room for Nebraska.

Nebraska football got another addition earlier this week in tight end Mac Markway. Coach Matt Rhule confirmed earlier this week that Markway is immediately eligible.

The tight end’s story is unique. He came to Nebraska on his own and did everything himself, including taking a visit and going through the admissions process. He came to the Huskers from LSU, where he recorded three catches for 16 yards and a touchdown last season. The Missouri native was formerly a four-star recruit.

Rhule told reporters earlier this week about Markway’s story, in what is truly one of the more fascinating developments of the season so far.

“I think he came up here and did like a school tour, like the one I took my son on. Like we didn’t have any contact with him, and yeah he’s eligible by rule. “

“I was really surprised to be quite honest with you, you know, and a great surprise. He’s a heck of a player, played as a freshman at LSU, and so we’re used to these kinds of things because we were in the NFL. Christian McCaffrey is traded on a Thursday, played on Sunday. So, we’re used to getting guys up to speed.”

It will be interesting to see when Markway will play for Nebraska. The odds are that we will see him later in the season as he gets acclimated to his surroundings. Depth is starting to accrue at Nebraska, especially in the tight ends room, as the offense continues to load up with weapons.

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Huskers add transfer tight end Mac Markway to roster

Markway was a four-start recruit in high school.

Nebraska football picked up a commitment from former LSU tight end Mac Markway on Tuesday. He made the announcement on social media.

Markway was a four-star prospect and the 18th overall tight end in the 2023 class. He was the ninth overall player in his class from the state of Missouri per the 247sports Composite rankings. He committed to LSU on March 24, 2022, and signed with the Tigers in December.

As a true freshman last year, he appeared in 12 games with one start, catching three passes for 16 yards. He started his first game against Mississippi State in an LSU win. Markway entered the transfer portal on August 6.

This is another strong get for a tight-end room that looks set for the future. Thomas Fidone and Nate Boerkircher will headline the room for the upcoming season. Beyond those two, the room is filled with tight-end options for the future. Markway undoubtedly adds to it.

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Which of LSU’s young tight ends will emerge behind Mason Taylor?

Which tight end will emerge behind Mason Taylor as LSU’s No. 2?

Big things are expected from LSU tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] in 2024. He burst on the scene with a strong showing as a true freshman in 2022 and followed it up with 36 catches for 348 yards in 2023, despite the bulk of the targets going to [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag]

Taylor has proven himself as a blocker too. He’s the SEC’s only returning tight end to post a run block over 70 last year. His blend of skills at tight end is hard to find and it earned him preseason second-team All-SEC at media days earlier this month.

But LSU has a group of young tight ends behind Taylor. For this offense to go where it wants to go, at least one needs to emerge in 2024.

The safest pick is [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag]. According to ESPN, Markway was the No. 3 tight end in the 2023 class. He played 160 snaps as a true freshman last year and got the start against Mississippi State. He was targeted just four times over the course of the season, catching three passes for 16 yards and a touchdown.

But according to PFF, Markway struggled when it came to blocking. Markway posted a run block grade of just 46.2, ranking 27th out of the 33 SEC TEs with 100 or more run block snaps.

Markway’s development was slowed late in his high school career after an injury ended his senior season. Now, with another year in LSU’s system and a new tight ends coach in Slade Nagle, Markway could turn a corner.

The first thing 247Sports mentioned in Markway’s original high school scouting report was his ability to block. I’d bet on Markway taking a step forward in that department this year. If so, Markway can be a valuable piece when LSU runs out of 22 personnel.

After Markway, you have [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag] and [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag]. Strictly speaking from a talent perspective, Pimpton and Green have the highest ceilings of the entire group.

Pimpton was a late addition to LSU’s 2023 class, flipping from Vanderbilt on signing day. 247Sports and On3 both ranked him as a top-six tight end in the class.

Like Markway, he didn’t factor into the receiving game last year and struggled as a blocker. If Pimpton is the athlete he was projected to be, there’s a chance he can emerge as LSU’s No. 2 TE.

This is an offense that wants to spread the field. A TE athletic enough to threaten defenses in all areas of the field will find their way into the rotation.

But Green might fit that billing better than anyone. Green was the top TE in the 2024 recruiting class. He’s young, but Kelly has shown a tendency to play young TEs while in Baton Rouge.

Green is nearly 6-7 and was a star on the basketball court too. He has the ability to win on the outside and fight for jump balls at the point of attack. Not many TEs can do that.

Again, the report here was the blocking needs to get to an SEC level. Green won’t be out there unless he can handle SEC defenders on a week-to-week basis.

Kelly’s programs have a history of producing tight ends. Michael Mayer, Tyler Eifert, Tommy Tremble, Kyle Rudolph and Troy Niklas all went to play NFL football after playing for Kelly at Notre Dame. At Cincinnati, Kelly had a player named Travis Kelce, who you may have heard of.

Taylor was banged up throughout the season last year and there’s no guarantee he’ll stay healthy throughout 2024. LSU has plenty of talented options behind him, but Kelly and tight ends coach [autotag]Slade Nagle[/autotag] would like to see that talent realized.

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LSU tight end Connor Gilbreath enters transfer portal

Connor Gilbreath appeared in 13 games for the Tigers last fall, but he did not make any receptions.

For the 2023 recruiting class last season, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his recruiting staff picked up a commitment from a big tight end out of Butte College by the name of [autotag]Connor Gilbreath[/autotag].

Gilbreath is a 6-foot-5, 265-pound tight end who came to LSU with the tools to have a lot of playing time. He got exactly what he wished for as he appeared in 13 games for the Tigers last fall but he did not make any receptions. He was mainly used in short-yardage blocking situations.

Now, Gilbreath has decided to move on to greener pastures.

He has entered his name into the transfer portal for 2024. LSU has a few good tight ends still on the team starting with [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] who served as a hero in LSU’s win over Alabama two years ago. [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag], [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag], and [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag] could all see significant playing time this fall for the Tigers.

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LSU signee Trey’Dez Green finishes as five-star in final On3 rankings

An LSU signee picked up his fifth star this week.

An LSU signee picked up his fifth star this week per On3’s updated rankings.

The recruiting service released its final prospect ratings for the 2024 class, going from 21 five-stars to 32. LSU’s [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag] was one of the beneficiaries, now ranking 32nd overall with five stars.

Green had always been one of the top-ranked tight ends, but a five-star rating was elusive as he hovered around the 35-45 overall range. Now, he has it.

On3 is the only service to give Green five stars, but he is a consensus blue-chip recruit and top 100 across the board.

According to On3’s Charles Powers, “Green will have some growing pains as a blocker, but his ability to move and go up and get the football with his size is rare for the position.

Green continues LSU’s run of success recruiting tight ends. Two years ago, LSU added [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag]. Last year, the Tigers signed [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag] and [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag].

With Taylor, Markway and Pimpton set to return, along with the addition of Green, LSU’s tight end room is prepared to take center stage this fall.

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LSU lands top tight end in 2024 recruiting class according to On3

Trey’Dez Green joins a tight-end room at LSU that has some very talented players.

On3 recently released a list of the top 10 tight ends in the 2024 recruiting class and the schools that they committed to. [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag] was the No. 1 tight end on the list and thankfully, he signed with the LSU Tigers.

Green is a 6-foot-7, 225-pound, four-star tight end who is ranked as the No. 1 tight end in the country by Rivals and by the 247Sports Composite ratings. He is ranked as a top 100 overall player on every recruiting site. He is as high as the No. 36 overall player by On3.

Green joins a tight-end room at LSU that has some very talented players. [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag], [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag], [autotag]Jackson McGohan[/autotag], and [autotag]Connor Gilbreath[/autotag] are all guys who could see playing time and make a big impact in the passing and running game for the Tigers in 2024.

Adding Green to that squad makes the LSU tight end room one of the best rooms in the NCAA.

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LSU true freshman tight end enters the transfer portal

The Tigers lost one of their 2023 tight end signees on Wednesday.

LSU signed three tight ends in the 2023 class, but with [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] only being a sophomore, some attrition following the season was expected.

We saw that on Wednesday as true freshman tight end [autotag]Jackson McGohan[/autotag] entered the transfer portal. A three-star prospect in the 2023 class from Miamisburg, Ohio, McGohan appeared in eight games during his first season in Baton Rouge.

Most of that action came on special teams, and he didn’t catch a pass.

LSU’s tight end outlook in 2024 still looks good. Taylor is expected to return, as are other 2023 signees [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag] and [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag]. The Tigers also have a commitment from [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag], a Louisiana prospect who ranks as the top tight end in the 2024 class.

McGohan becomes the fifth LSU scholarship player to enter the transfer portal since the conclusion of the regular season.

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Brian Kelly’s discusses Mason Taylor’s hopeful return, progress of young tight ends

With Mason Taylor out last week, LSU had to turn to the rest of its talented but inexperienced tight end room.

When [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] kicked off his post-practice press conference on Thursday night ahead of Saturday’s game against Arkansas, he led off with some good news about tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], who missed last week’s win over Mississippi State.

Taylor, who is listed as probable after suffering an ankle sprain in the win over Grambling, will likely return to the field this week.

In his absence, LSU had to turn to a group of reserve tight ends that, while talented, are young and lack experience. True freshmen [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag], [autotag]Jackson McGohan[/autotag] and [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag], along with JUCO transfer [autotag]Connor Gilbreath[/autotag], comprise the team’s depth.

Kelly said that group is making progress, but extended action illuminated several areas where growth is needed.

“Learned that they’re all young, and they’re all learning,” Kelly said. “Look, there’s talent certainly there, but there’s a lot of growth and we enjoy coaching them. Coach Denbrock, [autotag]Terry Malone[/autotag] gets to spend a lot of time with them. But there’s a lot of teaching, a lot of growth, and every day is one step towards getting a little closer to where we need to be with a young group.

“We certainly were in that boat last year with Mason, and we saw great improvement throughout the year, and I suspect that we’ll see the same thing again with this younger group of tight ends we have.”

LSU will likely continue to work its young tight ends in, but with Taylor hopefully returning to the field this weekend, they won’t be relied upon as much moving forward.

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LSU dealing with injuries to pair of key players ahead of SEC opener at Mississippi State

LSU could be without starters Mason Taylor and Omar Speights on Saturday morning.

LSU is looking to earn a big SEC West road win on Saturday against Mississippi State, but it may be undermanned heading into that game.

Two Tigers starters are dealing with injuries leading up to the game and may not be able to play, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said Thursday night.

Tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], who exited Saturday’s win over Grambling with an ankle sprain, is considered day-to-day. Linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag], an accomplished transfer from Oregon State, will travel with the team to Starkville but is doubtful to play less than 48 hours before kick, according to Kelly.

Assuming Speights doesn’t play, LSU will turn to [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag], [autotag]West Weeks[/autotag] and [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] to shore up the inside linebacker group. Kelly said that [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], who began the year playing off the ball but moved back to the edge last week, will remain on the outside.

Taylor, meanwhile, is the only returning player in LSU’s tight end room. He’s a major part of the offense, and without him, the Tigers would have to turn to a largely unproven group that includes JUCO transfer [autotag]Connor Gilbreath[/autotag] and true freshmen [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag], [autotag]Jackson McGohan[/autotag] and [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag].

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