As it turns out, USC hasn’t cornered the market on problems at the tight end position.
Chip Brown of Scout.com‘s HornsDigest.com reported earlier today that projected starter Andrew Beck, sophomore, sustained an injury to his knee during practice recently. The extent is not known as UT is awaiting the results of an MRI.
Shortly after that news dropped, the same website reported that the man projected to be Beck’s backup, redshirt sophomore Blake Whiteley, tore an ACL during Thursday’s practice and will, obviously, miss the 2015 season. It should be noted that the school has yet to offer an update on the status of either player.
On top of that, it was learned Wednesday that four-star 2015 signee Devonaire Clarington, expected to be an immediate contributor as a true freshman, would have to retake his ACT before being allowed to enroll at the university. As the recruiting website points out, it seems highly unlikely that Clarington will be able to enroll in classes in time because of the ACT issue.
With all of this tumult, it leaves, at the moment, DeAndre McNeal and Garrett Gray as the main players at the position. The former is a three-star 2015 athlete who was signed as a wide receiver and never played tight end in high school, while the latter was converted from receiver earlier this year.
There actually is some “experience” listed as a tight on the roster, with Dominic Cruciani having played in three games last season, mainly on special teams, while Matt Center is listed as a third-year tight end even as he has yet to play in any games.
