Braden Wilmes is one of those guys that stands out in a crowd.

Standing 6-foot-8, Wilmes generally towers over most. Despite playing baseball, basketball and football at certain points while growing up, with that frame, it did not take the freshman offensive lineman long to realize his future was on the gridiron.

Hailing from Lawrence Free State High School in Kansas, Wilmes had opportunities to play at numerous schools across the country. However, from a young age, it was Clemson he always had his eyes on.

“My mom, she went to Clemson, and I have just been a fan my entire life,” Wilmes said on a recent episode of the 2 Right Turns podcast.

Making the decision to ultimately solely focus on football came down to a couple of easy reasons.

“Just the camaraderie — the teammates,” Wilmes said. “Just having four other guys that kind of play the same position as you and being able to build that brotherhood. I had so many friends in high school that just made it so fun to come to practice every day, and that is when I grew my love for it.”

Wilmes was a three-year starter at left tackle for his high school team, logging more than 2,000 career snaps. He was a three-time All-Sunflower League selection, earning third-team honors in 2023 before collecting first-team honors in 2024 and 2025. He also earned all-state honors multiple times.

Once the Tigers started to recruit Wilmes, it was all but done. All he needed was an offer. That finally came in November of 2024, and about a month later, the big lineman was committed.

“When I went to camp and got to see the facility for the first time and then ultimately get recruited by Clemson, it was a dream come true,” he said. “Finally, when I did get the opportunity to come here, all stars aligned. I was so excited.”

On top of his mother being an alum, having the chance to learn under Matt Luke was something Wilmes was not going to pass up.

“During recruiting, it was all positive,” Wilmes said of his new offensive line coach. “I loved every Thursday night when he would call me. Getting the opportunity to just chat with him. Chat about ball, how I am doing, how he is doing, how his kids are, it was really just personal conversations. It was obviously a positive for Clemson, just having a great coach and a great person to be able to come play under. And nothing has changed since I got here.”