Clemson Turning to Redshirt Freshman TE Ahead of Rivalry Showdown

The Clemson Tigers will be without a key piece of the offense of the Palmetto Bowl, so a young player is getting called upon

The Clemson Tigers turn to another tight end for a key rivarly game | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

As the Clemson Tigers get set to head to the University of South Carolina for their final regular-season game, they’ll be without a crucial piece of their offense.

After hauling in a 12-yard catch against Furman University last week, starting tight end Olsen Patt-Henry went down with a patella tendon injury and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

Redshirt freshman tight end Christian Bentancur is expected to take the majority of snaps at the position and has already flashed some intriguing potential throughout the year.

When asked about a potentially larger role on Saturday, Bentancur paid his respects to his injured teammate before saying, with confidence, that he and the rest of the position group are ready for the opportunity.

“Big shoes to fill. There’s a lot of opportunities this weekend. We’re prepared, and we’ll get it done,” Bentancur said. “We need to step up because he’s been a vital part of our blocking game. But I think we have enough people in the room who have showed that they can do it, including myself.”

This season, Bentancur has hauled in 13 passes for 153 yards and leads the position group with three touchdowns.

His coming-out party came during Clemson's 38-10 win over the University of North Carolina back in October, when he hauled in two passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns.

During fall camp, Patt-Henry offered some encouraging praise to his backup.

“Christian can run, run-block, pass-block, route-run, he’s 250 [pounds],” Patt-Henry explained. “He’s creative, I think he’s starting to understand the game, and it’s slowing down for him a lot, so I think him being able to apply what coach is teaching him to the game is just a lot, and you can see his growth from freshman year.

Bentancur acknowledged that he expects to receive more snaps than usual and is looking forward to taking on the challenge.

While the Illinois native is taking on an unfamiliar role as Clemson's primary tight end, he explained that his approach hasn't changed much despite the new opportunity.

“Honestly, I go about it the same. Every week is the same for me. I have a routine that I do every week, whether I get one snap or 100.”

The Tigers will face South Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 29 at noon ET, broadcast live on the SEC Network.