South Carolina Gamecocks National Signing Day: Will Register Commitment Profile

Name: Will Register

Position: Tight End

Height/Weight: 6’4" / 250 lbs.

Hometown: Chapin, SC

Rating: Rivals and ESPN: Four star | 247: Three star

After committing to the class of 2017 a full year and a half ago, Register finally made it official with his signature on National Signing Day. His pledge helped give the Gamecocks a fairly big in-state haul as they were able to lock up three of South Carolina’s top five players (according to 247Sports’ composite rankings compiled from the major recruiting databases).

Strengths: Register was used heavily in the receiving game while at Chapin High School. He’ll step into a situation in South Carolina that will play to his strengths as a receiving tight end: after Hayden Hurst’s strong season (616 yards receiving), the hope is that Kurt Roper will be able to form Register into the same style of player and make great use of him in the offense as another safety valve for the Gamecocks quarterback to count on in 2017. However, he used his height and size to his advantage to not only be looked up on as an extra receiver, but conduct the traditional TE roles.

Weaknesses: Register’s numbers cratered from 2015 to 2016, but as Ben Breiner from The State writes, it was due to a new quarterback and new faces on offense. One might wonder if Register will be able to make the adjustment from the high school game to college, where his responsibilities will grow that much more. Another aspect of his game that might need work is awareness of the situation; his high school coach mentioned that it took some time for Register to temper his aggression and simply make the necessary play.

Overall: I like what I’ve read about Register. His hard work ethic, overall skill, and loyalty to the program despite some lean times show that he’s a kid that is out to prove that the staff made the right decision by offering him a place on the team. If he’s able to catch on to the college game and turns out to make the same impact that Hurst made in 2016, it could give Roper and the offense some intriguing options going into the fall.