Clemson currently has nine commitments in its 2021 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 4 nationally right now according to both Rivals and the 247Sports Composite.
In our “Reviewing Clemson’s commitments” series, The Clemson Insider takes another look at the future Tigers on board in the 2021 class, how Clemson landed them and what they will bring to the table when they join the team next year. In this article, we focus on Jake Briningstool:
Profile:
Position: TE
Hometown (High School): Brentwood, Tenn. (Ravenwood)
Height, Weight: 6-6, 215
Power Five Offers: Clemson, Alabama, Duke, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Ratings/Rankings: 4-star, No. 2 TE, No. 3 state, No. 56 national (Rivals); 4-star, No. 1 TE-Y, No. 1 state, No. 71 national (ESPN); 4-star, No. 4 TE, No. 2 state, No. 144 national (247Sports); 4-star, No. 1 TE, No. 1 state, No. 76 national (247Sports Composite)
How Clemson got him:
Clemson plans to sign only one tight end in the 2021 class, and the Tigers got their guy in Briningstool, who picked up the program’s lone offer to a tight end for this cycle following an impressive workout at the Dabo Swinney Camp last summer.
The nation’s No. 1 tight end, according to the 247Sports Composite, later visited Clemson for the Texas A&M game last September, returned to watch a bowl practice in December and then ultimately committed to the Tigers while on campus for their elite junior day in late January.
According to Briningstool, he knew for sure after the December visit he wanted to be a Tiger.
“Coach Swinney has built something special,” he said. “He was telling us that Clemson football is going to have the best decade in CFB history, and I want to be a part of it.”
Briningstool said the bond he built with Swinney and Clemson’s coaching staff was a “very important” part of his decision.
“Dabo always says it’s not the place, it’s the people, and Clemson has special people and I’m happy to be a part of it,” he added.
What Clemson is getting:
Tall and long at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, Briningstool is a desirable target as a receiving tight end and has a wide catch radius and dependable hands to help him bring balls in. He possesses the necessary speed and athleticism to go with his size to be able to stretch the field and be a mismatch for defenders over the middle. He is a very willing, physical blocker as well and embraces that aspect of the tight end position as evidenced by the 102 knockdown blocks he recorded last season. Briningstool has strong bloodlines to boot as the son of former Michigan State linebacker Tony Briningstool.
Briningstool fits the mold of a Jordan Leggett, and the Tigers hope he will give them the type of threat in the passing game they have been missing over the last few seasons since Leggett moved on to the NFL.
As a junior in 2019, Briningstool hauled in 49 receptions for 863 yards and nine touchdowns.
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