Portal Spotlight: Trey Knox

Transfer tight end Trey Knox from Arkansas could receive heavy interest from South Carolina based on some of his connections with some current staff members.

Arkansas tight end Trey Knox threw his name into the transfer portal earlier this week after putting up a stat line of 26 receptions, 296 receiving yards, and five touchdowns in 2022. The Tennessee native transitioned to the position in the 2020 offseason and got progressively better over the past two seasons in his new role.

Knox will look to spend his final college season elsewhere. Due to two specific coaches on their staff, South Carolina is in a unique and potentially advantageous position with Knox's recruitment.

Former Arkansas tight end coach Dowell Loggains was officially hired as South Carolina's new offensive coordinator earlier this week. Loggains arrived in Fayetteville in the summer of 2021, which was close to the time when Knox moved to that position, meaning Loggains has been Knox's position coach for the past two seasons.

As he stated in his introductory press conference, Loggains doesn't treat recruiting like trying to sell a product. He treats it more as an opportunity to build relationships.

It can be assumed that Loggains, based on his recruiting track record and being a self-proclaimed people person, that he and Knox hit it off in their player and coach relationship at Arkansas.

Another tie the Gamecocks have with Knox that shouldn't go unnoticed involves current Gamecock wide receivers coach Justin Stepp. Back when Stepp was the wide receivers coach at Arkansas, he served as the primary recruiter for Trey Knox when the Hogs were pursuing him in the 2019 recruiting cycle.

Stepp and Arkansas won out in the end. Much like Loggains, Stepp is a noted players coach who's made maintaining relationships with current and former players a massive priority in his career. The best example is when Stepp showed up at former Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks' NFL Draft watch party this past spring.

While you can't assume this recruitment will be cut and dry, based on the relationships and tangible on-field progress, the Gamecocks would have to feel confident if they choose to participate in the Trey Knox sweepstakes.

You Might Also Like:

• Connor Cox's Skillset Makes Him A Strong Match In Carolina's New System
• Oluwatosin Babalade Decommits From South Carolina
• Michael Smith, A Wide Receiver In A TE's Body

Join the community:

Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell

Follow Andrew Lyon on Twitter: @ALyon_SC

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @GamecocksDigest & follow us on Twitter at @GamecocksDigest.