CHARLOTTE – A glance at Clemson’s depth chart this season offers plenty of certainty.

For the third consecutive year, Cade Klubnik will start at quarterback. Juniors T.J. Parker and Peter Woods will anchor the defensive line while Ryan Linthicum will hold down the center position. These roles are all but set in stone.

Yet amid all the returning talent and veteran leadership, the tight end position remains unsettled.

With All-ACC standout Jake Briningstool off to the NFL, the job posts a vacancy for the first time in three years, and competition is heating up.

Despite outside uncertainty, however, Klubnik expressed confidence in the group during the ACC Kickoff event in Charlotte.

“We’ve got a really, really good tight end room,” he said Thursday at the Uptown Hilton. “Olsen (Patt-Henry), Christian (Bentancur), (Josh) Sapp, Ian Schieffelin,” he added with a smile, highlighting Ian Schieffelin—the former basketball star who joined the team this spring.

Klubnik noted that Schieffelin, once an All-ACC power forward for Brad Brownell’s squad, hasn’t dropped a pass in front of the quarterback so far in practice. While head coach Dabo Swinney and tight ends coach Kyle Richardson say they have not yet seen what Schieffelin can do in full pads. His 6-foot-8 frame and athleticism have sparked curiosity and optimism.

Obviously (Ian) “Chef” is coming over,” Swinney said at Clemson’s media outing last week. “That’s something else I’m looking forward to is actually getting on the football field with Chef and seeing him in full pads. That’s going to be a lot of fun. You know, see if he’ll actually block somebody… I don’t know. I’m really looking forward to that. So, I think that’s a really good group.”

Despite media attention, the story of Clemson’s tight end room is not just about Schieffelin. Patt-Henry, who recorded three touchdowns on nine catches last season, is firmly in the mix. So is Bentancur, a former four-star recruit and the nation’s No. 3 tight end in the 2023 class.

Josh Sapp, a redshirt junior who’s posted 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns across his two seasons, is the most tenured veteran looking for an opportunity.

Despite the room’s relative youth and limited game-time reps, Sapp, Bencantur, and Patt-Henry have quietly developed behind Briningstool, adopting the same relentless work ethic that made him a leader.

“It’s a great room and those dudes are awesome, probably one of the most fun rooms that we have,” Klubnik said. “I think that their work ethic is a legacy that Jake left behind. They all looked up to him for his work ethic and the way that he went about things in his preparation and his daily strive. Jake left them in good hands.”

Clemson fans will find out who claims the starting role when the Tigers open the season on Aug. 30 against LSU at Memorial Stadium. Sapp and Patt-Henry will each be vying for their second career starts, while the rest of the group chases their first.

For Clemson, the game will show many familiarities, but also many firsts.