The duo of Davis Allen and Jake Briningstool is one of the best tight end tandems the Clemson Tigers have seen in the Dabo Swinney era. The first tight end pair to score four touchdowns apiece in the Tigers program history, and now with Davis Allen off to the NFL, Briningstool jumps into the top spot.
As a sophomore, Briningstool was efficient in his snaps, with 25 catches for 285 yards and four touchdowns. Taking over the starting role, he’s already a proven talent in the Clemson offense and the introduction of Garrett Riley’s offense only adds more opportunity for the long, 6-foot-6 tight end.
“He’s unique. He’s long, very rangy, he’s athletic, he can really run,” Riley said. “He’s one of those guys that you expect to make contested catches with his size and his position. I think he’s really settled in this summer and knows what to expect with our offense. Jake’s got a great skillset, there’s no doubt about it and I’m excited to see what he’ll do this fall.”
Briningstool’s catch radius is well-documented, but his game goes beyond that. As the main tight end in the Tigers offense, he’s expected to step up and block in the run game and have the attention to detail so opposing defenses don’t always look at him being a receiver only.
In Riley’s offense, the coaches are looking for unpredictability and tight ends coach Kyle Richardson knows Briningstool can do it all and keep defenses on their toes.
“It’s having another wide receiver on the field, but he’s a tight end. He can go in the box and still hold up in the run game and do what you’ve got todo in the run game,” Richardson said. “If you’re not changing out your tight end a lot…now you leave him in the game and they can’t sit there and go ‘well they’re only going to do this,’ no the whole playbook’s wide open because of his skillset.”
Over the years, Clemson has heavily relied on their receivers in the passing game but the junior tight end may change the narrative in 2023. If Briningstool continues his growth into Riley’s offense, he could be the x-factor for 2023.