Tag: Mac Markway

2023 LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 84 Mac Markway

Mac Markway is a four-star tight end from Saint Louis, Missouri.

Going into the 2023 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Brian Kelly this season.

Here, we are going to look at another one of the three talented tight-end prospects Kelly brought in for the 2023 recruiting class. [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag] is a four-star tight-end from Saint Louis, Missouri, who looks to make his name known in Year 1 on the bayou.

Mac Markway Preseason Player Profile

Freshmen tight ends impressing Brian Kelly early in fall camp

Brian Kelly said the Tigers enter the 2023 season with a much deeper tight end room.

For both [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag], tight end play has always been a key part of the offensive plan.

We saw a freshman emerge at the position last fall in [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], but LSU has really built up the depth at the position behind him this offseason.  The Tigers signed a pair of blue-chip tight ends in the 2023 class in [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag] and [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag], with the former being a signing day flip from Vanderbilt.

When Kelly spoke to the media on Thursday following the first practice of fall camp, he said that the performance of those young tight ends was already standing out to him.

“You see (KaMorreun) Pimpton out there, he’s a big-body guy. Soft hands was my first glimpse at him out there,” Kelly said. “If you watch tempo he had a hard time getting lined up but that’s on us, we have to figure out how to get him lined up, maybe just put him in one position and go because he certainly has the tools. And that’s kind of what we thought, he’s much bigger. He’s up to about 245 pounds already when he got on to campus he was at I think 222. He’s done a great job taking care of himself and doing the right things in nutrition. He looks good.

“(Mac) Markway’s moving much better. He’s leaned up, much more agile, because he’s a big body guy that can help us. I think we’ve really built the depth there at the tight end position that we needed around (Mason) Taylor.”

Taylor should be in for a big year in 2023, but with a deeper tight end room this time around, the Tigers could look to work in more multiple tight end sets than the did last season, which is the direction many top programs in college football seem to be heading.

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NEW: LSU lands 2023 JUCO tight end Connor Gilbreath

LSU has added a very talented tight end as a late addition to its 2023 recruiting class.

LSU added a very talented tight end to its 2023 recruiting class. [autotag]Connor Gilbreath[/autotag] announced his commitment on Twitter late Saturday night.

LSU’s 2023 recruiting class was ranked fifth in the country by 247Sports prior to this announcement. That class already included three tight ends: [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag], [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag] and [autotag]Jackson McGohan[/autotag].

All three have already enrolled.

Gilbreath brings more of a veteran presence since he has played at the collegiate level for the past two seasons at [autotag]Butte Community College[/autotag] in California.

The Tigers were thin at tight end last season, and [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has done a masterful job on the recruiting trail of filling that need and other needs as well.

LSU will kick off its 2023 season on Sunday, Sept. 3 as the Tigers look to avenge last season’s loss to the Florida State Seminoles.

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4-star 2024 tight end decommits from LSU

Tayvion Galloway had been committed to the Tigers since July 23.

Tight end [autotag]Tayvion Galloway[/autotag] became one of the first players to join LSU’s 2024 recruiting class last summer, and now he’s the first player to leave the class.

The four-star Chillicothe, Ohio, prospect decommitted from the Tigers on Sunday night. The No. 247 player nationally and No. 11 tight end according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Galloway had been committed to LSU since July 23. He announced his decommitment via his Twitter account

“After reconsideration, I have decided to take a step back and de-commit from LSU,” Galloway said in his post. “My recruitment is now open. Please respect my decision and no interviews at this time.”

LSU signed three tight end prospects in the 2023 class in [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag], [autotag]Jackson McGohan[/autotag] and [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag], and it still has a top-100 tight end committed in 2024 in [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag].

The Tigers also return true sophomore [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], who had a breakout season in 2022.

Even with Galloway’s decommitment, LSU still has 15 commitments in the class of 2024, which ranks seventh nationally per 247Sports.

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LSU makes progress with blue-chip receiver from St. Louis

LSU recently hosted a four-star receiver on campus and reportedly made a strong impression.

After a visit to LSU, four-star receiver Jeremiah McClellan is impressed.

According to On3, LSU is now near the top of McClellan’s list. McClellan told On3 he’s a fan of wide receivers coach [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] and his track record of development.

McClellan has four stars from all four major recruiting services. 247Sports is the highest on his ability, slating McClellan as the 17th-best wide receiver in the 2024 class and the fourth best in the state of Missouri.

LSU has competition. Ohio State is also recruiting the blue-chip receiver and the Buckeyes seldom miss when recruiting pass catchers.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and staff made it a point to recruit the St. Louis area when taking over at LSU.

Kelly, having spent a decade at Notre Dame, is familiar with the Midwest, and LSU cornerbacks coach [autotag]Robert Steeples[/autotag] is a fixture in the St. Louis high school football community.

Last cycle, LSU landed tight end [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag] from Missouri. LSU defensive tackle [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] is also from the area and transferred to LSU after beginning his career at Missouri.

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LSU’s tight end outlook is one of the best in college football per On3

After adding two blue-chips in the 2023 cycle to pair with Mason Taylor, the future is bright at tight end for the Tigers.

When coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] got to LSU, it was clear he had a lot of work to do in the tight end room.

Both Kelly and Tigers offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag], who has worked under Kelly in the past, like to utilize the tight ends in the offense. They run a lot of 12 personnel with multiple tight ends on the field, but LSU’s roster was severely limited at the position.

Now, a year later, that has changed considerably. [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] had a breakout true freshman season. Though his production won’t blow anyone away, his role increased considerably down the stretch and he made some big plays, namely the game-winning two-point conversion catch against Alabama.

The Tigers signed two blue-chip tight ends in 2023 in [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag] and [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag], a signing day flip from Vanderbilt. With four-star [autotag]Tayvion Galloway[/autotag] committed in 2024, the future is bright at the position.

On3’s Jesse Simonton ranked the unit ninth in the country entering 2023.

Mason Taylor returns as one of the better tight ends in the SEC in 2023, as the sophomore made a number of big-time plays for the Tigers last season — namely his 2-point conversion to beat Alabama.

LSU would love to run more two-tight end sets in 2023, and now they might have the personnel to do that with more effectiveness after signing a trio of freshmen at the position — led by 4-stars Ka’Morreun Pimpton and Mac Markway.

LSU returns a lot of pass-catchers in 2023, and with players like [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], Taylor may not see a huge uptick in targets. Still, he should see an even bigger role as he could become the next great tight end Kelly produces.

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LSU makes the cut for defensive line prospect’s top 5

Tionne Gray is a two-way player who also projects as an offensive tackle.

The Tigers have shifted gears to the 2024 cycle now, and they’re looking to add to a class that already ranks No. 3 in the country.

One LSU prospect is getting closer to making a decision as three-star Hazelwood Central (Saint Louis, Missouri) defensive line prospect [autotag]Tionne Gray[/autotag] released a top five that included LSU, Missouri, Minnesota, Colorado and Oregon.

Though he’s listed as a defensive lineman, Gray is a two-way player who also sees time as an offensive tackle (in addition to some experience at tight end). He’s listed as the No. 477 prospect in the 2024 class, per the 247Sports Composite, and though he has no Crystal Ball projections at this time, in-state Missouri is a 78.5%% favorite per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

The Tigers will likely have to beat out a conference foe here, but Gray would be a nice addition to the 2024 class. LSU signed one player from Saint Louis in the 2023 class, DeSmet tight end [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag].

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Former LSU tight end Kole Taylor announces transfer to the Big 12

Taylor is heading to Morgantown to play for West Virginia in 2023.

Former Tigers tight end Kole Taylor announced his next stop on Sunday. He’ll be heading to the new-look Big 12 to join the West Virginia Mountaineers

The junior from Grand Junction, Colorado, heads to Morgantown after appearing in 32 games in three years with seven starts. He was a role player and made a minor contribution in the passing game, totaling 159 yards and a touchdown on 17 catches during his team in Baton Rouge.

Taylor entered the transfer portal on Dec. 8, a decision that didn’t come as much of a surprise following the emergence of Mason Taylor, the true freshman who emerged onto the scene this fall and led LSU’s tight ends in receiving yards.

Taylor’s time with LSU will likely be best remembered by his role in the upset win over Florida in 2020 when his cleat was thrown by Gators cornerback Marco Wilson, resulting in a 15-yard penalty that set up the game-winning field goal.

LSU will have Mason Taylor back next fall and signed a pair of tight ends in the 2023 class in [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag] and [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag].

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LSU’s 2023 class features 15 early enrollees

LSU will welcome a significant portion of its class early.

Speaking on early signing day, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said LSU’s 2023 class will feature 15 early enrollees. However, the group won’t participate in bowl prep.

It’s significantly more than last year, when LSU welcomed just five prospects early. This years early enrollees include but are not limited to WR [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag], TE [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag], and DE [autotag]DaShawn Womack[/autotag].

Getting Womack on campus early is huge as LSU will need time to develop pass rushers following the departure of [autotag]B.J. Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag].

The early enrollees won’t be the only newcomers on campus come spring ball. Kelly said he expects LSU to sign 8-10 transfers as well. Kelly mentioned that the contributions of LSU’s true freshmen in 2022 gave him confidence in playing more true freshmen going forward.

LSU is set to return a lot in 2023. Getting to campus early will give these younger guys a chance to compete with that veteran talent. LSU needed to rely on true freshmen this fall, but Kelly and his staff have done a good job building this roster to where that won’t be necessary in 2023.

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BREAKING: LSU flips a tight end commitment away from another SEC school

The Tigers pulled off the flip of Ka’Morreun Pimpton from Vanderbilt.

The news that every Tiger fan has been waiting for on Wednesday has finally come.

[autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag], once a Vanderbilt commit, has flipped his commitment on early signing day to LSU. Pimpton is a four-star, 6-foot-6, 220-pound tight end from Fort Worth, Texas.

Pimpton committed to Vanderbilt on July 26, and he stayed locked in on the Commodores until Wednesday. He spent the last two weekends taking visits to Texas and LSU so it came down to those three schools and the Tigers came out on top.

Pimpton is the third tight end signee of the 2023 recruiting class, following [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag] and [autotag]Jackson McGohan[/autotag]. There have been some hits and misses so far for [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] on national signing day, but this one is a big win for the Tigers.

The day is still young and we could see a lot more signees rolling in soon. This recruiting class just keeps getting better.

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