Here's what the LSU football tight end room looks like heading into preseason practice
BATON ROUGE — One of the most intriguing positions to watch for LSU football during preseason practice into the 2024 season is tight end.
There's no real challenge for who'll start, as junior Mason Taylor is undoubtedly the guy for the Tigers. But how exactly this group of players is used for LSU this season, under new co-offensive coordinators Joe Sloan and Cortez Hankton, will be fascinating to watch.
Sophomores Mac Markway and Ka'Morreun Pimpton played last season, catching three and one passes, respectively. Markway caught a touchdown pass against Georgia State.
While the Tigers have a trio that's seen game action, the tight end position got better and deeper through recruiting as LSU signed highly touted prospect Trey'Dez Green, who, at 6-foot-7, 245 pounds, looks the part. It'll be interesting to see if Green can carve out some kind of role for himself as a freshman.
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LSU football tight end options
Starter: Mason Taylor, Jr.
Reserves: Mac Markway, Soph.; Ka'Morreun Pimpton, Soph.; Trey'Dez Green, Fr.; GiVanni Peterson, Jr.; Gabe Leonards, Jr.; Landon Craig, Fr.
LSU coach Brian Kelly, as well as the offensive staff, have been ecstatic that the tight end room has gotten deeper. From a physical standpoint, the Tigers have collectively gotten bigger and now have a quality mix of guys that can run good routes and catch balls, as well as players who can hold their own when tasked to block defensive ends and outside linebackers at the line of scrimmage.
Kelly brought Taylor with him to SEC Media Days last month and said he believes he's one of the unsung guys on LSU's team deserving of more recognition. Behind him, Pimpton and Markway will be asked to do more this season and appear ready to step up.
The upside
Since Hankton and Sloan took over the offense, there's been plenty of conjecture about how much tight ends will be used in this passing game this season.
An uptick in use is expected as LSU lost its starting quarterback and top two wide receivers to the NFL draft and the guys stepping into those roles full-time are doing so for the first time in their careers. Taylor has been a starter for LSU for two seasons with 25 total starts and is rated among the best NFL prospects at the tight end position.
Taylor caught 36 passes for 348 yards with one TD in 2023.
One question or concern
Can the tight ends take the next step?
It's likely that new starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will go to Taylor or the others often. With the possible increased volume of targets and responsibility, will the tight ends perform at their best? It'll be different and how they react will be intriguing to see.
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Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz atbdiaz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: What LSU football's TE room looks like heading into preseason practice
