Clemson Tigers Have Strong Options To Replace Departing Star Tight End

Who will be the starting tight end for the Clemson Tigers next season?

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Clemson Tigers tight end Jake Briningstool (9) against the Texas Longhorns during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With spring practice starting up for the Clemson Tigers in about a week, the team will start preparing for what should be an exciting campaign in 2025.

After a solid season in 2024, expectations will be high for the Tigers coming into next year. Clemson will be returning many starters, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Most notable will be the return of quarterback Cade Klubnik. The talented gunslinger will be entering his senior year with the opportunity to accomplish quite a bit both individually and as the leader of the team.

Last year, Klubnik totaled 36 passing touchdowns, 3,639 passing yards, and just six interceptions. It was an impressive leap in production from his sophomore campaign.

He will now be entering the 2025 campaign as a front-runner for the Heisman trophy candidate. Luckily, he will have a lot of his top weapons returning as well.

However, one player who graduated and will be set to try and make it in the NFL is tight end Jake Briningstool. The talented tight end had an excellent career with Clemson, and the future will be bright for him at the next level.

He will be leaving the program as one of the best tight ends in history. Briningstool has totaled 127 receptions throughout his career, which is a program record.

Last year, he totaled 49 receptions, 530 passing yards, and seven touchdown receptions. Replacing a great tight end like Briningstool isn’t going to be easy, but they fortunately have a plethora of talent returning.

With wide receivers like Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr., and T.J. Moore returning to the program, the passing attack might feature more passes to receivers than tight ends.

At the position, the Tigers have two likely options to replace the production of Briningstool. The first is Olsen Patt-Henry, who played a bit last year as the backup tight end. The sophomore tight end totaled nine receptions, 123 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns.

In addition to Patt-Henry, Clemson will also have Christian Bentancur coming off red-shirting last year.

Overall, the position should be in good shape considering they are losing an excellent tight end. Briningstool has the potential to be a really good professional after an excellent college career.

While he might not be a first or second-round pick, he will provide some value to a team in the later rounds.

The Tigers program is shaping up to be strong once again in 2025 despite losing an excellent player in Briningstool.