Clemson returns a significant chunk of their offensive production from the 2024 season, with tight end being the glaring exception. Last season if the ball was going to a tight end, that tight end’s name was Jake Briningstool.
Jake hauled in 49 receptions (behind only Antonio Williams’s 75 receptions) for 530 yards and 7 touchdowns (again, only behind Antonio’s 11). He was a comfort blanket for Cade on 3rd down and at 6’6”, a primary red zone threat. Briningstool is now trying to claw his way onto
the Kansas City Chief’s roster (or more likely, practice squad) and Clemson is set with the task of finding his replacement. There are plenty of options, and replacing Jake’s production 1-for-1 isn’t necessary with the wealth of talent at wide receiver, but Clemson’s offense is always better with a solid tight end.
First Up
Olsen Patt-Henry – 6’3”, 240 – Jr. – Naples Florida (First Baptist Academy)
Olsen Patt-Henry (“OPH”) was a borderline high 3* – low 4* recruit in the 2023 recruiting class. He played in six games as a true freshman, collecting 3 receptions for 42 yards including a crucial 25 yard reception in Clemson’s 38-35 Gator Bowl win over Kentucky. Last season he settled into his role as Briningstool’s under-study, appearing in 14 games, bringing in nine receptions for 121 and three touchdowns. He had a breakout performance against Virginia with two receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns, including a 40-yard strike.
OPH brings something a little different to the tight end position. He’s not a tall redzone target like Davis Allen or Jake Briningstool, but he’s better with the ball in hands than both of them. In high school he was something of a wide receiver / tight end hybrid. High school tight ends usually don’t have two consecutive seasons of 60+ catches for 1,000+ yards, and those are the numbers Olsen put up in his junior and senior high school seasons. He’s the type of tight end you can run down the hash, split the safeties and take it the distance. In theory, he’s the best deep middle threat Clemson has had at tight end in quite some time, but he’ll need to turn that theory into fact in 2025. The Tigers are loaded on the outside with an embarrassment of speed, with Bryant Wesco hugging one side line, TJ Moore hugging the other, and Antonio Williams working intermediate crossing routes, the opposing safeties will be in hell. If Olsen can become a reliable threat in the middle, I’m not sure how you stop this passing attack other than getting to Cade before he can find the open man. Defensive coordinators are going to have to make some hard choices, and I’m betting one of those is always leaving the tight end in single coverage. Time of cash in on some easy money.
Returning Starting Options
Josh Sapp – 6’2”, 235 – Jr.-Rs – Greenville, S.C. (Greenville)
Sapp, a 3* Clemson legacy in the 2022 recruiting class followed his father Patrick’s footsteps to Tiger Town (Patrick was Clemson’s starting QB from 92-94 before switching to linebacker in 1995 and being selected in the second round the Chargers as a linebacker),
Josh has been a productive, but not prolific, player for the Tigers during his three seasons in the program. He took a redshirt in 2022 after playing a handful of snaps, pulled down 7 passes for 60 yards and two touchdowns in 2023, and brought in another six receptions for 63 yards last season. He is a good pass catcher but is a little smaller than the other TEs and hasn’t proven his blocking prowess quite yet. With Patt-Henry’s promotion to starter, Sapp will need to become a solid blocker to get on the field in two-TE sets or for consistent rotational snaps.
Christian Bentancur – 6’4”, 245 – Fr.-Rs – Lakemoor, Illinois (Marian Central Catholic)
In terms of recruiting rankings, Bentacur is the “talent” in the tight end room. He was Clemson fourth highest rated recruit in the 2024 recruiting class, coming in as consensus 4*, top 100 recruit. Christian is an ATHLETE with an NFL ceiling who dominated the East Suburban Catholic Conference in Chicago. In fact, he dominated the league in both football and basketball and is the only player in Illinois high school history to have 200 receptions in football and 2,000 receiving yards in football in their prep career. He finished his four years of high school with 231 receptions (5th in Illinois history), 3,867 receiving yards (2nd in Illinois history) and 51 touchdowns (3rd in Illinois history).
The talent is there, it’s now a matter of getting accustomed to the physical demands of college football. I’m willing to bet a player that put up those sorts of numbers in high school wasn’t asked to block much, and that’s an important part of the assignment for the Tigers. The good news is he had the entire 2024 season to hit the weights and get knocked around in practice. My hunch is that he’s a player that builds as the season moves along and he gets more experience. The coaching staff would like for him to be the future at the position, and for good reason.
New To the Program
Logan Brooking – 6’4”, 235 – Fr. – Bluffton, SC (Savannah Christian Prep)
The son of legendary Georgia Tech and Atlanta Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking, Logan was a fringe high 3* – low 4* recruit in the 2025 class. Dabo Swinney and Kyle Richardson recruited Logan with the expressed intent of making anyone who attended Clemson in the late 90’s suffer an existential crisis, or at least, encourage them to have a will and robust life insurance coverage.
Consider your mission accomplished Dabo.
Brooking played on both sides of the ball at Savannah Christian. To no one’s surprise, he was a pretty decent linebacker in high school as well, adding 189 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, and 20.5 sacks to his tight end resume which consists of 845 receptions for 1,206 yards and six touchdowns. Logan may need a year of seasoning after coming from a lower level of high school ball just as Christian Betancur did. On the other hand, he could be an absolute destroyer on kick coverage teams until he’s ready to contribute on offense.
Other Contributors
Banks Pope – 6’4”, 250 – Sr.-Gr – Columbia, SC (AC Flora)
Pope has been an on again, off again contributor entering his 5th year in the program. He’s dealt with injuries, but he brings experience and leadership to the tight end room and could contribute as a blocker on short yardage. He had the highest PFF grade on run blocking among Clemson TEs last season.
Charlie Johnson – 6’4”, 240 – So.-RS – Columbia, SC (Ben Lippen)
Charlie joined as a walk-on in 2023. He’s appeared in four games, has played seven offensive snaps, and is the son of former Clemson defensive coordinator (among other jobs) Ellis Johnson. His career arc will most likely follow his first couple of years in the program.
