LSU Tight End Room: Mac Markway, Jackson McGohan Turning Heads
Heading into the 2022 season, LSU’s tight end room was one that lacked significant depth. With true freshman Mason Taylor emerging as a starter during fall camp, and Kole Taylor handling backup duties, it was an efficient one-two punch.
Now with Taylor taking his talents elsewhere, LSU lacks experience, but it isn’t a tight end room that lacks talent. Insert early-enrollees Mac Markway and Jackson McGohan.
The freshman duo continues to stand out during spring camp. Markway looks prepared to step in and take on a blocking role in his freshman campaign. To call Markway “physically gifted” doesn’t tell the entire story. He’s a unit.
For McGohan, he’s improved in the weight room and has all the intangibles of being a threat sooner rather than later.
Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has had only positive things to say of his youngsters:
Markway x McGohan One-Two Punch
LSU added three tight ends via their 2023 recruiting class in Markway, McGohan and Ka’Morreun Pimpton. With Pimpton set to enroll over the summer, the Tigers have seen Markway and McGohan thrive during the spring as early enrollees.
“I’m incredibly pleased with those guys,” Denbrock said of his new tight ends. “The old saying is true, especially with early enrollees, they’re drinking through a firehose and having a hard time keeping up mentally. That’s natural but as far as ability and what I think they’re going to be able to lend to our overall effort as an overall offense, they’re both going to play some factor in what we do in the fall. It’s exciting to see those guys evolve.”
It’s clear the two are making a statement during camp with both of them attaining different traits. With Markway’s elite blocking ability and McGohan displaying softer hands, it gives this team versatility.
The Traits
Denbrock harped on what makes both of his young tight ends so special. It’s rare to have such a dynamic tight end room, but that’s precisely what the Tigers have with Mason Taylor, Markway, McGohan and Pimpton arriving soon.
“I think Mac is further along physically in that he can give us a physical presence that we lacked at times in the run game,” Denbrock said. “He can give us some good things there, it’s not that he can’t run and catch the ball but I think that’s his strength where he’ll be able to leap in front of the crowd.
“[McGohan] is a guy who needs a year in the weight room, a position where he can block defensive ends in our league but he is way up on the scale as far as running and catching the ball and making plays in space. I think there’s a good yin and yang as far as those two guys to support Mason Taylor to give us a pretty dynamic group.”
Mason Taylor Status
Taylor is out for spring camp as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery, but the freshman phenom will be ready for fall camp.
Taylor quickly became a key contributor to the Tigers’ offensive success over the last few weeks of the season. The true freshman was the hero in the Bayou Bengals’ upset victory over Alabama, but to him that was just the introduction.
Taylor has been making highlight reel plays his entire career, and is now doing it on the biggest stage. It’s all he’s ever wanted. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, it sets lofty expectations, but Mason is simply looking to create his own path.
Taylor reeled in 38 receptions for 414 yards and three touchdowns in his freshman campaign with the Tigers, but no catch was greater than his two-point conversion to defeat Alabama. The future of this position for LSU, this program is in good hands.
