We are under the two week countdown until Clemson football’s opening game for 2024, where they will face the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs on Aug. 31. Like many position groups, the Clemson football tight end room is ready to face one of the top teams of the college football world.
While still a very young room, the group is led by senior standout Jake Briningstool, who took the starting role last season and produced solid numbers. In the offseason, the senior spoke about what was important to him when training for his final season.
“I think the No. 1 thing this offseason is just getting my body right [and] getting ready to play 16-17 games this season,” Briningstool said. “Just getting ready for that, mentally and physically. Then, just focusing on the little things and just taking my game to be the best version of myself.”
Jake Briningstool
So, that’s what he did, gaining ten pounds in the offseason to have his best season as a tight end this season. Another thing that could help the senior, as well as the whole offense, succeed in the regular season will be the unity that the team has, especially with returning pieces.
“I think the offense has been great,” he said. “Even just going back to the spring, I think we had a lot of leaders step up and work throughout the summer to build that leadership style [and] build their own type of style that they want to lead by. I think we have just got a lot of guys that have played a lot of snaps, guys that are experienced [and] guys that are really respected on the team. So, I think it’s all come together and then leading this team to where we want to go.”
Two of Briningstool’s heirs to his throne are young threats Josh Sapp and Markus Dixon, who spoke to the media as well on Monday. With a younger group present, it allowed for a hungrier dynamic in terms of playing time, which Sapp, a redshirt sophomore, embraces.
“We are deep in that tight end room,” he said. “So, there’s a lot of competition and we do a good job of holding each other accountable too, making sure we all know what to do. Jake’s doing a good job of leading that group.”
Jake Briningstool
“I think the mentality that’s going on in the room right now is just competition, but at the same time, it’s not,” Dixon, a redshirt freshman, said. “We are really just trying to support our brothers and do our best to our capabilities of going out there and giving the best look we can as a Clemson tight end.”
The two both look up to Briningstool, who take the leadership role that he holds seriously in order to embrace the brotherhood and competition that Sapp and Dixon spoke about.
“I think I’ve always felt like I was a leader,” the senior said. “I always felt like guys watched what I was doing. But now, I feel like it’s on a much larger scale. I feel like I hold that title well. I don’t take it lightly.”
But it’s not just that trio who could be a weapon for the Tigers next season, but the tight end room goes even farther. Sophomore Olsen Patt-Henry and true freshman Christian Bentancur are others who could make a splash in upcoming weeks. Especially with Bentancur, who enters in his first season with Clemson, the tight end room likes what they see.
“He’s going to be a really good player,” Briningstool raved. “I think, right now, it’s so natural for him, just running routes [and] catching the ball. He looks really good at it. . . as he gets more accustomed to college football, how the college game is, and more accustomed to our offense and how everything works, he’s going to be a good player.”
“I think Christian is super athletic, super smart [and] the kid is just amazing to be around,” Dixon said. I just completely love him. His game, honestly, you see flashes of him running [and] catching. All in all, I think he is going to be a great tight end.”
A lot of eyes fall on the Tigers, who face the No. 1 Bulldogs in the first game of the season. While there is not as much pressure as the team’s opening game against Duke last season, and an underdog mentality has been put on the team, the group has mixed thoughts on being placed as the “underdog” team.
“It’s a good start for us, to knock them off the map,” Sapp said. “I definitely know we got the chip on our shoulder. Just coming in, being that underdog, that’s what we like around here.”
On the other hand, Briningstool disagrees.
“We are not the underdog,” he said. “We are just ranked low right now. We will be ready.”
Whether underdogs or not, the Tigers face a true test with Georgia, and we are under two weeks until the kickoff commences.
