Muse Sees Opportunities for Gamecock Tight Ends

A popular question throughout the years on the football coach’s radio call-in show is “Why don’t we throw to the tight end more? I’ll hang up and listen.” South Carolina fifth-year senior tight end Nick Muse is OK with that line of thinking and hopes to see a fair share of passes in his direction this season.

“I’m a very big fan of those questions,” Muse said with a laugh. “I need to catch the ball a little bit better this year, so hopefully that will happen as well. We have three or four tight ends who can really do it all.

“We’re a group where you can have three of us on the field and it will help us more than it hurts us. We’ve got some guys that can really move. The whole group is a bunch studs and really good athletes. Whether it’s me or one of my teammates, if the ball comes to the tight end, we take it seriously.”

The native of Belmont, N.C., played his first two seasons at William & Mary before transferring to South Carolina prior to the 2019 season. In his 18 games with the Gamecocks, Muse has caught 47 passes for 583 yards, including a career-high 8 reception for 131 yards and a touchdown last year against Georgia. Not bad for a guy who had more film as a linebacker in high school than a pass catcher.

“In two years of high school, I had around 250 tackles and something like 15 interceptions,” Muse said. “My high school needed me to come in on third downs to be wide receiver and catch a first down and then get off the field.”

“I think the tight ends were the leading receivers in the spring, and we’ll try to keep it going in the fall.”

He was named to the John Mackey Award Watch List last season, which recognizes the best tight end in the nation, and was the Co-Offensive Player of the Spring at the end of last semester.

“I think I can handle myself blocking,” said Muse, who is studying criminal justice. “It’s hard to get that kind of O-line credit because fans only see the running back running for 80 yards or something like that. It’s great to look at film and see what you do well and what you need to do better. I think my blocking keeps me in the lineup.

“Some of these other guys can run routes the way I wish I could run them, but I think I’m good with deception where the defensive players think I’m running an inside route and I’m really running an outside route. I can still get better at blocking, but I feel like I got a lot better at it in the spring.”

With all that being said, Muse said there is plenty of room for improvement with his game.

“I have to be better at making contested catches. You have to catch the ball and then turn to run. We’re all human, and we’re going to have some drops, but you can’t try to make a play before you catch the ball. There were three- or four-times last year where I was trying to do something before I caught it. That’s been my main focus.”

Tight ends aren’t normally going to have a lot of explosive plays, but Muse is confident he can provide a spark.

“I think I’ve improved in my spatial awareness and knowing what I’m supposed to do,” Muse said. “There are opportunities to make a guy miss and make a big play. It doesn’t feel good to get rocked, so the more you can make them miss, the better!”

Muse is thrilled to get the 2021 season started, and whenever his playing days are over, he’d like to get into coaching.

“I think I care enough to be a coach, and I think I’ve done the right things well enough to be a coach,” Muse said. “(Director of Football Operations) Connor Shaw said if he ever had a chance to hire me, he would.”

For now, Muse is relaxed but working hard to do his best to help the Gamecocks be in a position to win each Saturday, regardless of how many passes come his way.

“I’m only human, and everyone is going to make mistakes. I’ve learned that you can’t please everybody all the time, but I think the tight ends were the leading receivers in the spring, and we’ll try to keep it going in the fall.”