Michael Smith and Jordan Dingle Give South Carolina Its Most Talented Tight End Duo in Over a Decade Entering 2025 Season
South Carolina’s 2025 football season is loaded with questions — from how a young offensive line will gel to whether the defense can hold up in the physical SEC. But one area where there’s almost no uncertainty is tight end. Thanks to the emergence of redshirt freshman Michael Smith and transfer veteran Jordan Dingle, the Gamecocks are poised to have one of the most versatile and dangerous tight end rooms in the conference.
It’s a position group that has quietly become one of the offense’s greatest strengths heading into the season, and it could be the difference between another rebuilding year or a true leap forward. In Shane Beamer’s fourth season in Columbia, the tight ends will be tasked with far more than blocking and the occasional dump-off pass. They’ll be pivotal weapons in a system built around spacing, mismatches, and giving a new starting quarterback reliable options over the middle of the field.
Dingle brings experience, physicality, and SEC seasoning. Smith brings raw talent, speed, and rare polish for such a young player. Together, they might just form the best one-two punch South Carolina has had at the position since the days of Jared Cook and Weslye Saunders.
Jordan Dingle’s decision to transfer from Kentucky back to his home state of South Carolina was met with enthusiasm from fans and coaches alike — and for good reason. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end is one of the most seasoned players in the SEC, with over 40 career games under his belt. During his time in Lexington, Dingle caught 41 passes for 520 yards and six touchdowns, emerging as a reliable target in Kentucky’s often run-heavy offense.
But beyond the stats, Dingle is valuable because he’s a complete tight end. He’s physical at the point of attack, a capable run blocker, and shows excellent spatial awareness in zone coverage. While Kentucky’s system didn’t always maximize tight ends as dynamic playmakers, Dingle made the most of his touches — and he’s stepping into a South Carolina offense that plans to feature the position.
Dingle’s return to his native state — he played high school football at Bowling Green (KY) but is originally from the Palmetto State — gives the Gamecocks a savvy leader with both on-field production and locker-room maturity. He understands SEC defenses, knows what it takes to grind through a conference season, and adds a veteran presence to an offense breaking in new faces at quarterback, receiver, and the offensive line.
South Carolina’s staff reportedly loves his football IQ and sees him as a “security blanket” for the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback, whoever that ends up being. Expect Dingle to line up everywhere — in-line, in the slot, and even out wide in certain packages — as offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains looks to create mismatches
While Dingle brings experience, Michael Smith brings electricity. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound redshirt freshman out of Savannah, Georgia, was one of the top tight end prospects in the 2024 recruiting cycle. He chose South Carolina over offers from Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State, citing his belief in Shane Beamer’s vision and the chance to be an early contributor.
By all accounts, he’s delivered on that promise — and then some.
Smith made waves throughout spring practice, routinely hauling in contested catches, stretching the field vertically, and showing off the kind of fluidity rarely seen from someone at his size. His route-running is advanced, and his catch radius gives quarterbacks a huge margin for error. He’s not just a red-zone weapon — he’s a threat between the 20s, capable of pulling away from linebackers and outmuscling safeties.
Coaches have been deliberate about managing expectations, but privately, they’re ecstatic about Smith’s progress. Multiple staffers have compared him to NFL tight ends in terms of his athletic profile. While still refining his blocking and learning the nuances of SEC-level play, Smith has shown enough to earn early playing time — possibly even a starting role in certain formations.
If the spring game and closed-door scrimmages were any indication, Smith will be used heavily in 12-personnel looks alongside Dingle, giving South Carolina a balanced but unpredictable offensive package.
Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains is entering his second year calling plays for the Gamecocks, and his background in the NFL is especially relevant to tight end usage. During his time with teams like the Bears, Dolphins, and Titans, Loggains developed a reputation for creatively involving tight ends in his game plans.
That’s good news for both Dingle and Smith.
Expect to see them featured in a wide array of alignments. In-line to help block on zone runs. Split out in motion to reveal coverages. Bunched together in stack formations. This won’t be a static role. Dingle, with his reliable hands and blocking ability, will be the steady presence. Smith, with his downfield explosiveness and athletic mismatch potential, will be the chess piece.
The presence of two capable tight ends also allows South Carolina to lean into heavy personnel against smaller defenses — especially helpful if the Gamecocks are looking to control the tempo or protect leads late in games. And when facing blitz-heavy defenses, having two tight ends on the field gives the quarterback more protection and more safety-valve options underneath.
It’s a perfect marriage of scheme and skill set.
In the modern SEC, tight ends are more important than ever. With defenses evolving to prioritize speed and hybrid coverages, offenses need versatile players who can exploit soft spots. Elite tight ends don’t just help in the red zone — they’re drive-sustainers on third-and-medium. They keep safeties honest. They help in the run game. They create matchup nightmares.
For a South Carolina offense that may lack a proven superstar wide receiver and is still working out kinks on the offensive line, the tight end position becomes a stabilizing force. Dingle and Smith represent safety, flexibility, and — perhaps most importantly — upside.
If South Carolina wants to return to bowl eligibility in 2025 and contend for eight or more wins, the offense needs to be efficient, mistake-free, and explosive in spurts. The tight ends are crucial to achieving that.
Gamecock fans remember how dominant tight ends have been in Columbia when used correctly. Jared Cook, now an NFL veteran with over a decade of experience, was a matchup nightmare during his time at South Carolina. Weslye Saunders was a reliable big-bodied weapon in the red zone. More recently, Hayden Hurst turned himself into a first-round pick after transitioning from minor league baseball to college football.
Smith and Dingle have the potential to join that lineage.
Smith especially projects as a future NFL talent, and if he develops over the next year or two, his ceiling is as high as any tight end to ever wear the garnet and black. Dingle, meanwhile, could parlay a productive 2025 into a late-round draft selection or a coveted undrafted free agent deal.
In a program still building toward consistent success, having multiple pros at the same position is a major recruiting and culture win.
The tight end room’s resurgence is also a microcosm of Shane Beamer’s overall philosophy: identify talent, develop relentlessly, and build positional strength from the inside out. Beamer has spoken at length about his desire to make South Carolina “tough, smart, and physical.” Few position groups embody that better than tight end — and in 2025, the Gamecocks may have one of the best rooms in the conference.
This isn’t just about catching passes or pancake blocks. It’s about identity.
Smith and Dingle give South Carolina a unique identity on offense — one rooted in versatility, toughness, and consistency. In a league where rosters turn over quickly and young quarterbacks often struggle without veteran help, having two high-level tight ends is a luxury few teams can afford.
Michael Smith and Jordan Dingle may not be household names nationwide — at least not yet — but by the end of the 2025 season, that may very well change. They are the kind of players that keep drives alive, break open stagnant games, and earn the trust of quarterbacks and coaches alike.
For South Carolina, they represent more than just talent. They represent stability, potential, and a clear offensive identity.
And for Shane Beamer, they might just be the X-factor in turning the corner from rebuilding to arriving.
