CLEMSON — In his 15-plus years as Clemson’s head coach, Dabo Swinney has been blessed with some talented tight ends.
One won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end, while another was the first Clemson tight end to be a two-time finalist for the award. One was a Consensus All-American, another was a two-time All-American, while four were honored as First-Team All-ACC selections.
In all, four of these tight ends played in the NFL, with two playing at least five seasons and one is currently in the league.
Below are the top tight ends in the Swinney era.
No. 6 Davis Allen (2019-2022)
Allen spent most of his time at Clemson blocking, as he helped a lot in run blocking and pass protection. He is natural at both, which is why he is playing for the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams these days. At Clemson, he earned All-ACC honors as a senior after he caught 39 passes for 443 yards and five touchdowns. He finished his career with 88 receptions for 951 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns. He played in 54 games overall, including 25 starts. Allen exited as one of only six tight ends in Clemson history to record double-digit career touchdown receptions, as his 12 touchdown catches tied John McMakin (12 from 1969-71), Dwayne Allen (12 from 2009-11) and Brandon Ford (12 from 2009-12) for the second-most career touchdown receptions by a tight end in Clemson history.
No 5 Brandon Ford (2008-2012)
Ford moved to tight end from wide receiver prior to his junior season. He was ahead of his time in some ways at the position. Ford was tall and lanky and had wide receiver speed, evident by his 69-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown against NC State in 2012. Ford was not used for his run blocking when he took over the job in 2012, but he knew how to find the end zone. He hauled in 40 catches for 480 yards, while scoring eight touchdowns, which tied a Clemson record for a tight end in a single season. His best game as a Tiger came against the Wolfpack as he scored two touchdowns on five catches for 101 yards.
No 4 Jake Briningstool (2021-present)
Briningstool has a chance to move up this list if he can duplicate or surpass what he did last season for the Tigers. Last year, he tied Dwayne Allen’s single-season record with 50 receptions. He finished with 498 yards and five touchdowns. He enters 2024 with 10 career touchdowns. His 126 receiving yards in a record-setting night at Miami last year were the most by a Clemson tight end in a single game in school history, and his nine receptions in the Gator Bowl tied the Clemson single-game record for receptions by a tight end.
No. 3 Michael Palmer (2006-’09)
When it comes to being a pure tight end, only Bennie Cunningham and Jim Riggs played the position better at Clemson. Palmer was a technician as a run blocker and pass blocker, as he did everything well. Dwayne Allen said he was the best he ever saw, and learned everything he could from his former team-captain. A three-year starter, Palmer caught 73 passes for 825 yards and eight touchdowns in his Clemson career. His best season came during his senior year when he caught 43 passes for 507 yards and four touchdowns.
No 2 Jordan Leggett (2013-’16)
The last two years of Leggett’s career were perhaps the best two-year stretch by a tight end in Clemson history. In 2015 and 2016, Leggett combined to haul in 86 passes for 1,261 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is considered the most decorated athlete to play the position at Clemson. He was a two-time finalist for the John Mackey Award and was a two-time All-American and was First-Team All-ACC. In all, he finished his career with 112 receptions for 1,598 yards and 18 touchdowns. He played in 51 games and started 38. He set the single-season-record for receiving yards by a tight end in 2016 (736), while he is also Clemson’s career leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns by a tight end. His most memorable game was his last one, as he came up big in the National Championship win over Alabama. He grabbed seven passes that night for 95 yards, including a critical 17-yard twisting reception to help set up the go-ahead touchdown with one second left in the game. He also scored the game-winning touchdowns against Louisville and Florida State that season. His 122 receiving yards against FSU was a Clemson single-game record for a tight end at the time.
No 1 Dwayne Allen (2009-’11)
Leggett had more yards and touchdowns, but he was not as strong or as big as Dwayne Allen, who was a much better run and pass blocker than Leggett. Allen set the pace for what was expected at the tight end position under Dabo Swinney. Allen was a Consensus All-American in 2011, helping led the Tigers to the program’s first ACC Championship in 20 years. That year he caught 50 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns on his way to winning the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end. His 50 receptions are still the record for a tight end in a single season, while his eight touchdowns tied a Clemson record. Allen finished his Clemson career with 93 catches for 1,079 yards and 12 touchdowns in 41 games. By winning the Mackey Award, Allen became the first offensive player in Clemson history to win a national award and just the third Tiger overall at the time. After redshirting in 2008, Allen needed just three seasons to become Clemson’s career leader in receptions and yards for a tight end, while tying the record for most career touchdowns. A third-round selection of the Indianapolis Colts (No. 64 overall), Allen spent seven seasons in the NFL, while winning a Super Bowl (2018) in his final year in the league.
A limited number of signed footballs from Clemson’s 2022 class are still available. Get yours while supplies last! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
