CLEMSON — The struggles of the Clemson offense have been a major storyline this season, but there has been some light amongst the darkness.

Despite a rough start culminating in a 1-3 start for the Tigers, there have been spurts of good performances and new looks at young Clemson players. One of those players is tight end Christian Bentancur.

“It’s been exciting,” Bentancur said. “I put in a lot of work in the offseason, so I am happy to see it finally paying off.”

Through the first four games, Bentancur has caught four passes for 38 yards. The first two catches came in their opening game against the LSU Tigers, and the following two catches came last weekend against the Syracuse Orange. His achievements have not only been through the receiving game, but also his development as a blocker.

“I feel like I could do mostly everything as a tight end,” Bentancur said. “I could block, pass block, run block, and run routes against anyone. I feel like I am bigger than a DB and faster than a linebacker, so it creates a mismatch.”

Bentancur is one player among the tight end room, which also consists of Olsen Patt-Henry, Josh Sapp, Ian Schieffelin, and freshman Logan Brooking. As a unit, the tight ends have caught 12 passes for 130 yards this season, and they expect to get even more action as the year continues.

“This has been my dream all of my life, so I’m happy to get out there and start playing,” Bentancur said. “It’s all about gaining trust, and we’ve shown slowly more and more that we could make a role for ourselves out on the field. We just have to keep going and keep working hard, and I think good things will happen.”

Bentancur and the tight ends will get a chance to keep making an impact when the Tigers come back from their bye week and face the UNC Tarheels on Oct. 4 in Chapel Hill, N.C.