CLEMSON – When Chad Morris was Clemson’s offensive coordinator the first time, his offense produced two of the best seasons in Clemson history by a tight end.

In 2011, Morris’ first year, Dwayne Allen became the first offensive player in Clemson history to win a national award, as he took home the John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end.

The All-American set a Clemson single season record for catches (50), yards (598) and TDs (8). His 50 receptions and 8 TDs still stand as Clemson records today.

The very next year, Brandon Ford became a first-team All-ACC performer, as he hauled in 40 passes for 480 yards and, like Allen, scored 8 TDs as well.

This time around, like before, Morris inherits a very talented and versatile tight end room. Christian Bentancur, Olsen Patt-Henry and Logan Brooking are all talented tight ends, who give Morris’ offense different styles and options at the position.

“I think we have great talent in there. I think that those guys just do not understand how important they are in what we do,” Morris said with a little laugh. “I shouldn’t say…they understand it, but they just thought it was all talk.

“I think right now, they are understanding, like, ‘holy cow we are heavily involved.’”

Some might ask what is different in how Morris uses the tight ends than what the Tigers did with Jake Briningstool just a few years ago. Briningstool set Clemson’s all-time record for receptions in a career by a tight end with 127. He also tied Allen’s record for catches in a season and holds the single game records for yards (126) and catches (9).

However, there is a difference.

Briningstool was used more as a pass catcher than he was as a tight end in the traditional sense.  

“The tight end (position) is really hard in this scheme,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said.

Morris said his tight ends love the scheme so far, but they understand how much work is involved and how on point they have to be for it all to work.

“The tight ends do a lot in this offense. There is a lot,” Swinney said. “You really have to understand the picture of the play, so you understand where you lose points, the motions and where you are going.

“The motions have an ability alignment, so you want to motion to what that ability alignment might be. You have to really understand the play to do that, and you have to understand the defense. There is just a lot to it because, again, there is a lot of motions and a lot of formations.”

In the spring game last Saturday, the Tigers showed a little bit of what the tight ends will do. They were targeted eight times and caught seven passes for 51 yards.

However, there is more to it than catching passes.

“You are in pass protections more. You are involved in the play action passing game, you are a part of everything,” Swinney said.

Morris and Swinney felt Bentancur and Brooking benefited from Olsen being out with a knee injury he suffered against Furman at the end of last season. The two younger tight ends learned a lot from the extra reps in the spring practices.

“I wish Olsen would have been out there, but not having him there, like those young wideouts, it really forced the issue,” Swinney said. “Listen, they made mistakes because there is a lot. They zip motion to the wrong side or not far enough, just little nuances of what we have to do, but they got better.

“They are tough kids. They are tough, they are physical and they are willing and they can run. Logan can change direction. He can do a lot of stuff. He is a great young talent.

“Nobody is ready to win the Mackey yet, but they all got better.”