Redshirt freshman tight end Evan Hinson may have had one of the busiest springs among players on the USC football team. But it wasn’t because of spring practice.
Hinson, a member of the USC men’s basketball team, traveled with Frank Martin’s Gamecocks to Phoenix, Ariz., to compete in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. While he missed the majority of spring practice, Hinson says the Final Four experience gave him takeaways that will translate onto the football field.
“Our camaraderie on the Final Four team is what prepared us to be the Final Four team,” Hinson said. “So, as a team, on the football team, we probably need to get more brotherly, stuff like that ... because that matters a lot.”
Hinson redshirted last season and joined the basketball team following the Birmingham Bowl in November, garnering nine points and five rebounds in eight games. The basketball team was eliminated by Gonzaga in the Final Four, but according to head coach Will Muschamp, Hinson wasted no time getting back to the gridiron grind.
“After the Final Four, he was in our building the next time he could be in there,” Muschamp said. “He’s up over 240. He looks great and runs extremely well. Athletically, he’s a guy who certainly can contribute on special teams, and, depending on how he competes through camp, he should be compete and help us at tight end. We’re counting on him.”
Hinson came to USC after graduating from Deltona High School (Florida) in 2016, where he amassed 465 yards and six touchdowns during his senior season. He also played on the defensive side of the ball, making 35 tackles during his senior year, including eight for loss and five sacks.
As a part of the crowded tight end position — anchored by veterans Hayden Hurst and K.C. Crosby with competition from Jacob August, Kiel Pollard and Kyle Markway — Hinson will have to make big strides to separate himself.
His high school versatility, along with his athleticism as a basketball player and increased muscle mass this spring, puts him in consideration for playing time on special teams and possibly at wide receiver.
“I just try to get in where I fit in. Just do my assignment when they tell me to do it. Just play to my ability. That’s all I’m trying to do,” Hinson said. “Really just me putting it together in the weight room, it just, I just naturally got to be this.”