Note: The following appears in the Virginia football gameday program.
Head Coach Dabo Swinney has produced incredible talent at the tight end position during his time at Clemson. Consider Jordan Leggett (2013-16), a two-time finalist for the John Mackey Award, two-time All-American and 2016 national champion. Dwayne Allen (2009-11) won the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end in 2011, becoming the first Clemson offensive player to win an award on the national level. Other notable tight ends developed by Swinney include Michael Palmer (2006-09), Brandon Ford (2009-12) and Davis Allen (2019-22).
Jake Briningstool is no exception to Swinney’s tight end list and will certainly find his name among the aforementioned Tiger greats by the end of his final season. A talented downfield weapon, Briningstool became the fifth tight end in school history to reach 1,000 career receiving yards. His 50 receptions in 2023 tied the single-season record set by Allen in 2011, and his 126 receiving yards at Miami (Fla.) in 2023 were the most by a Clemson tight end in school history, surpassing the previous record of 122 receiving yards set by Leggett in 2016.
Hailing from Brentwood, Tenn., Briningstool was a highly recruited prospect through high school, receiving offers from elite programs such as Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, Michigan State and Tennessee. Despite having a connection to Michigan State (his father was a linebacker for the Spartans), he elected to head south and spend his college career in Tigertown.
“It was a busy recruiting process. I had a lot of offers and took a lot of visits. It was the culture at Clemson, the family atmosphere and the holistic approach to developing men that ultimately convinced me to commit here.”
From P.A.W. Journey to numerous microinternships, Clemson is committed to developing its players beyond the gridiron. Noting this holistic approach to player development, Briningstool remarked that he has not only seen himself improve as a player, but also in every other way. During his first three years as a Tiger, he completed two spring-semester microinternships and was a two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member.
“During my career, I’ve developed a lot as a man, a leader, a teammate and a football player. It’s been a total change for me since I’ve been here.”
Following his noteworthy 2023 season, which was his first as a full-time starter, Briningstool assuredly could have found a spot on an NFL roster. Deciding to…