Clemson Standout Sets Career-High in Snap Count in South Carolina Win

Still a redshirt freshman, the Clemson Tigers will continue to see growth from this tight end for years to come.

Clemson Tigers tight end Christian Bentancur is getting better with each game played for head coach Dabo Swinney. | Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers picked up a big win last weekend against their in-state rival, the South Carolina Gamecocks, with some help from a key young piece on the offensive side of the ball. 

Redshirt freshman Christian Bentancur made his first career start at tight end for Clemson in the Palmetto Bowl and put up, arguably, his best performance yet as a Tiger. He finished with five passes for 51 yards, two yards off of his season-high. 

Because of the absence of starter Olsen Patt-Henry, who has been the team’s starter throughout the entire season, Bentancur was given the top spot at the position in his place. He played in 59 snaps in the win, which is the most in his career so far, and he made the most of it. 

The Clemson passing attack was more fluid than previous games with the help of the redshirt freshman, who aided the likes of T.J. Moore and Antonio Williams with a third 50+ yard performance at Williams-Brice Stadium. He finishes the regular season sixth on the team in receiving yards with 186 total yards, with lots of parity within the Tigers’ air raid. 

He leads the tight end in receiving yards, receptions and touchdowns, despite the limited amount of snaps that he saw in the 2025 season. Going forward, he will continue to rise as an important contributor for Clemson. 

Head coach Dabo Swinney has constantly raved about Bentancur since he arrived at Clemson in 2024, believing that he will end up playing in the NFL by the time his collegiate career is all said and done, calling him “Baby Gronk.”

It wasn’t a matter of if Bentancur was going to show out for Clemson, it was a matter of when. The Woodstock, Illinois, native was the No. 4 tight end from the class of 2024, according to 247Sports. With the departure of two-year starter Jake Briningstool last season, it allowed for competition to ensue at the position. Although Patt-Henry won it, Swinney said that you would see Bentancur and Josh Sapp see snaps. 

The redshirt freshman has earned his playing time, now he will look to be the next Clemson quarterback’s security blanket for seasons to come. He has the athleticism and the speed to do so, it’s only a matter of when his breakout will continue to rise. 

The Tigers await a bowl game at the end of this month, meaning viewers could see another game of improvement from Bentancur to round out the 2025 season.