Connor Cox's Skillset Makes Him A Strong Match In Carolina's New System
South Carolina hired offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains in a concerted effort to throw the football. Multiple sources familiar with the hire confirmed that fans should expect a lot of passing from the Gamecocks.
They are attempting to bring in high-caliber tight ends as part of that vision. Carolina is pursuing tight ends Nyckoles Harbor and Michael Smith and already has a talented one on the way in Connor Cox.
Cox stands 6-6 and 220 lbs., legitimate SEC size with some room to add weight. However, Cox's best trait is his athletic fluidity. His strides look completely compact, and he moves well with the football.
A common criticism of tight ends is that they can swing too far to one side of the pendulum. They either block well and lumber in space or are essentially wide receivers that can't play in-line.
The Bolles School asked Cox to do both, and he made most of his top receiving plays from the in-line position. Despite the heavy traffic, he had no trouble going over the middle and making plays.
The most intriguing possibility with Cox is your ability to hide him in formations. Carolina wants to use multiple tight-end sets, and you figure they eventually land one of these athletic marvels.
If so, you can hide Cox as a second tight end and let him work untethered. It's much easier to win one-on-ones at 220 lbs. than it is to work your way through various defenders at the line of scrimmage.
He has the positional versatility to play big slot if needed. Cox also has impressive ball skills at the catch point, as he quickly locates it over his shoulder and catches it with his hands out front.
Cox projected as one of the more interesting prospects that South Carolina took. While the national media isn't covering him a ton, there's reason to believe he could flourish in the system if he plays alongside an uber-athletic tight end.
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