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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