Briningstool will get an opportunity to showcase his talents.
Clemson football tight end Jake Briningstool has officially received an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where he’ll showcase his talents to NFL coaches ahead of the Feb. 1, 2025, game in Mobile, Alabama.
Briningstool has been a standout for the Tigers, setting the program record for career receptions by a tight end, surpassing Jordan Leggett in 2024. A two-time All-ACC selection, he joins Clemson greats like Dwayne Allen and Bennie Cunningham in achieving the honor multiple times. Over his career, Briningstool has tallied 78 catches for 850 yards and 10 touchdowns, with highlights including a record-breaking 126-yard performance at Miami in 2023 and a nine-catch outing in the Gator Bowl.
Projections have varied for his NFL draft pick, but Briningstool’s strong junior season—where he tied Clemson’s single-season record with 50 catches for a tight end—cements his status as a key figure in Clemson history.
What you need to know from Clemson’s thrilling win over SMU sent the Tigers to the College Football Playoff.
With an ACC Championship record 56-yard game-winning Nolan Hauser field goal as time expired, the Clemson Tigers stunned the SMU Mustangs, 34-31, as time expired Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium to land a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Welcome back to the CFP, Clemson. It’s been a while.
The Tigers (10-2 overall) got out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and led 24-7 at halftime, then had to hang on for its postseason life when SMU (10-2) quarterback Kevin Jennings rallied the Mustangs back from a 17-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to tie the game at 31-31 with only 16 seconds remaining in regulation.
Overtime? Forget that, Clemson said.
Here’s how the Tigers pulled off a thrilling win over SMU and punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020.
Clemson special teams shined with game on the line
Dabo Swinney celebrates the game winning field goal after the 2024 ACC Football Championship at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
When SMU tied the game with 16 seconds left on a four-yard touchdown pass from Jennings to Roderick Daniels, it looked like things were destined for overtime. Only Clemson’s Adam Randall returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to give Cade Klubnik and the Tigers’ offense a shot at getting into field goal range.
Klubnik hit Antonio Williams for 17 yards and a first down to the Mustangs’ 39-yard line with three seconds to play. Hauser showed nerves of steel after previously missing a 43-yard field goal in the first half when the Tigers’ protection on the left side of the offensive line broke down — a troubling and recurring theme for Dabo Swinney’s team all season long.
Hauser closed out the Tigers’ scoring in the first half by hitting a 44-yard field goal that made the score 24-7 at intermission.
Bryant Wesco had a career night on his biggest stage yet
Bryant Wesco Jr. scores during the first quarter. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Cade Klubnik to Bryant Wesco. It was a familiar and much welcomed sight for Clemson fans Saturday night. Wesco exploded for 142 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches — all career-bests.
After stud defensive end T.J. Parker forced a Jennings fumble on the Ponies’ first drive, Clemson took over at the SMU 33-yard line. Klubnik soon hit Wesco on a wide-open 35-yard touchdown pass. Wesco made the grab inside the 20 and waltzed into the end-zone for a quick 7-0 lead just 1:25 into the game.
Clemson’s defense forced a three-and-out and the offense took over in a great spot at the SMU 28-yard line. Wesco’s electric start continued when he took a misdirection and ran 11 yards for a first down to the 17. That set up a quick pass from Klubnik to tight end Jake Briningstool in the flats for a five-yard score and a 14-0 lead. Clemson had two touchdowns in the game’s first four minutes and 13 seconds.
Wesco would strike yet again when the 5-star freshman out of Midlothian, Texas, hauled in a perfect pass from Klubnik on a seam route for a 43-yard touchdown to put Clemson ahead 21-7 with 3:28 to play in the first quarter. The drive covered 73 yards in eight plays.
Clemson found tight end Jake Briningstool in critical moments
Jake Briningstool (9) celebrates with teammates after a touchdown during the third quarter. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Tight ends can be a great weapon and a quarterback’s best friend, and that’s just what Briningstool was for Klubnik in the red zone. Briningstool had four catches for 23 yards and two touchdowns.
After his five-yard catch in the first quarter that put Clemson up 14-0, Briningstool got the ball again in the waning seconds of the third quarter. On third-and-goal from the SMU 5-yard line, Klubnik found Briningstool on a short cut for a touchdown that put the Tigers up 31-14 entering the fourth quarter.
It wasn’t just the catches Briningstool made, either. In the second quarter, he recovered a fumble after Klubnik was hit from behind that resulted in a 10-yard Clemson gain.
Cade Klubnik was an absolute stud
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The big games that Wesco and Briningstool had wouldn’t have been possible without their general at quarterback.
Klubnik, who led Clemson to an ACC title two years earlier, was 24-of-41 for 262 yards and four touchdowns. Despite the aforementioned fumble, the Tigers’ quarterback ended the night without a turnover.
His 17-yard completion to Randall in the final seconds was a throw that a 5-star quarterback should make in games of this magnitude. And Klubnik’s 8-for-10 start for 120 yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter ultimately proved too much for SMU to overcome.
Clemson’s defense made some big plays
T.J. Parker tackles Kevin Jennings during the second quarter. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Most people thought this would be a high-scoring game and it was. Yes, the Tigers’ defense allowed SMU to crawl out of a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit, but Wes Goodwin’s unit also made some pretty explosive plays — one of which directly led to points. Parker’s strip sack of Jennings on the Mustangs’ third snap of the game led to Clemson’s first score.
With SMU facing third-and-10 in the second quarter, Khalil Barnes made a heads-up play when he reached down and picked off an ill-advised pass from Jennings for an interception at the SMU 47. While the ensuing drive yielded no points, it marked the third time the Tigers had started in SMU territory in the first half.
Quote of the night: ‘So you’re saying there’s a chance?’ Dabo Swinney quotes ‘Dumb and Dumber’
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Dabo Swinney doesn’t care who the Tigers will play next. The affable Clemson coach, declared obsolete by many in the national media all throughout the offseason for his stance on the transfer portal, was a bundle of joy in his postgame interview with ABC’s Molly McGrath.
Swinney even quoted Lloyd Christmas, the iconic ‘Dumb and Dumber’ character played by Jim Carrey in the 1994 comedy.
Swinney told McGrath:
“Hey, it’s a new season, and we’re 1-0 in the postseason. And now we’ve got a chance and I think Lloyd Christmas said it best: ‘So you’re saying there’s a chance?!”
There is always a chance in college football, especially in 2024.
Dabo Swinney on Jake Briningstool’s absence from Saturday’s game.
Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers had no issues taking down The Citadel 51-14 on Saturday, but the Tigers offense was unexpectedly missing a key piece for the matchup.
According to Swinney, the trainer’s decided to hold out star tight end Jake Briningstool. Swinney explained the situation, making it seem clear that Briningstool would be ready for rivalry week against South Carolina.
“He just wasn’t quite ready to go,” Swinney said. “He is just banged up. The trainers held him. He is day-to-day.I would say he is like, hour-to-hour. He is probably hour-to-hour.”
So far this season, Briningstool has recorded 38 catches for 403 yards and five touchdowns. The Tigers will need him against the Gamecocks
Diaz Swinney and the Tigers currently lead Wake Forest 42 to 14 in the third quarter, with their last touchdown coming on an awesome trick play.
Clemson was just outside the red zone when Cade Klubnik threw a pass behind the line to star wide receiver Antonio Williams. It was clear that it was a trick play, but the Demon Deacons had no response. Williams dropped back and threw a perfect touchdown pass to tight end Jake Briningstool. It was a 28-yard connection between the two pass catchers and one of the most exciting plays of Clemson season so far.
Clemson doesn’t make plays like this often so it’s definitely an awesome thing to see. This offense is getting more and more comfortable with itself.
The New Orleans Saints have had scouts including Jeff Ireland at the last two Clemson football matchups against Stanford and Florida State:
The New Orleans Saints scouting department is always out in force throughout the year, and sometimes you can get an idea of who they are looking at based on where their scouts are seen. They’re already hard at work assembling the team’s big board of prospects for thee 2025 NFL draft.
In the last two weeks, they have been seen at Clemson matchups. Firstly, Jeff Ireland was in the press box for Clemson versus Stanford on Sept. 28 per Tiger Illustrated’s Toby Corriston. Then there were scouts from the Saints at Doak Campbell Stadium to watch Florida State against Clemson, per The State Newspaper’s Chapel Fowler.
These two matchups ended in wins for the Clemson Tigers, which, depending on whether or not the Saints were specifically there to see them or not, could be a good indication for their scouting process of certain players. As of now, some of the top prospects from Clemson are:
RT Blake Miller (No. 55 on PFF big board)
LB Barrett Carter (No. 82 on PFF big board)
QB Cade Klubnik (No. 161 on PFF big board)
TE Jake Briningstool (No. 185 on PFF big board)
Each of these positions could be positions of need no doubt, especially tight end as the production from that position has been less than expected this season. All of these four players also fit into the usual height weight metrics for the Saints, especially so for Blake Miller who registers in at 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds. We will see how this progresses throughout the season and if they are seen again at Clemson, as they recently dipped into the Tigers’ talent pool in 2023 taking Bryan Bresee.
Clemson’s dominant win over Appalachian State last Saturday showed just how well the team could recover after a tough start to the season.
The Tigers scored a record-setting 56 points in the first half, making ACC history and moving past their Week 1 loss to Georgia. The team’s resilience and determination were on full display, and tight end Jake Briningstool credited their ability to stay focused on constant growth. “Our biggest thing is just trying to get better every single day,” Briningstool said, pointing to the influence of offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. The philosophy instilled by Riley, which began during his arrival two springs ago, is starting to bear fruit as the offense finds its rhythm.
Briningstool played a significant role in the win, leading the tight ends with seven receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns. He highlighted the competition within the tight end room, saying, “I think we’ve got a really good tight end room… Just being able to come here, have competition, go to work every single day, and make each other better.” The tight ends combined for 130 yards off nine catches, contributing significantly to Clemson’s offensive dominance. Alongside Briningstool’s stellar showing, quarterback Cade Klubnik shined with seven total touchdowns and 378 passing yards, further demonstrating the potential this offense has. With confidence building, Briningstool believes there’s no limit to what the Tigers can achieve moving forward. “There’s no telling where we can go,” he said.
Fans have patiently waited for Riley’s stamp to be felt on this team and it was definitely felt on Saturday.
A look at the Offensive Players of the Game for Clemson following Saturday’s 66-20 victory over App State.
If you missed a moment of the action when the Clemson Tigers had the ball against Appalachian State in the first half of their 66-20 romp on Saturday night in Death Valley, well, you shouldn’t have many troubles finding the big plays on various college football highlight reels.
Klubnik’s Big Night
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik had a career night, finishing the first quarter 11 of 11 for 233 yards and three touchdown tosses as the Tigers (1-1) built a 35-0 lead en route to the victory.
All told, Klubnik combined for seven touchdowns — five through the air and two more on the ground. All of them came in the first half as Clemson carried a 56-13 lead into intermission. He finished 24 of 26 on the night with 378 yards — far and away career-highs for the junior beginning his second full season as the Tigers’ quarterback.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Klubnik became the first player in 25 years at the FBS level to finish with five passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and a 90 completion rate.
Coming Out Party for Wesco?
Maybe it was more of a warm-up dance than a full-on party, but true freshman receiver Bryant Wesco had his own smash debut in front of the home crowd, catching three passes for 130 yards (all in the first quarter).
Wesco hauled in a perfectly thrown 76-yard strike from Klubnik less than two minutes into the game for what Tigers fans can only hope is the first of many touchdowns for the five-star recruit out of Midlothian, Texas.
Wesco had one catch in the Week 1 loss to Georgia and was only on the field for 12 snaps. The fact that he was not only announced as a starter for Week 2 but was featured so prominently early on was in and of itself a welcome sight.
The same holds true for fellow freshman receiver TJ Moore, who had a 33-yard touchdown reception and two more catches for another 11 yards.
Somewhat lost in the spotlight of Klubnik’s big night and Wesco’s performance was senior running back Phil Mafah, who finished the game with 10 carries for 118 yards after reeling off an 83-yard touchdown run from scrimmage for Clemson’s third touchdown of the night.
While his other runs were less celebrated (his longest carry aside from the touchdown run was still for eight yard), there’s going to be a time this season when Mafah and the ground game as a whole will have to put away a game or win one outright for the Tigers in crunch time.
Briningstool Is A Weapon
I admit to being biased here, but tight end Jake Briningstool is one of my favorite players. There’s a quiet leadership about him, and his performance Saturday night (a team-high seven catches, 100 yards, two touchdowns) marked his second career 100-yard receiving game.
Up Next
Clemson has a bye next week before hosting NC State on Sept. 21. Kickoff time and broadcast information have not yet been announced.
Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and opinions.
Klubnik has three total touchdowns in the first quarter.
Clemson’s starting quarterback, Cade Klubnik, is having a breakout performance against the Appalachian State Mountaineers.
Klubnik has been tearing up this Mountaineers defense in the first quarter, scoring their first touchdown on a 76-yard touchdown to freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco. Following that, he took a two yard carry on the next drive for a touchdown, and the following drive, star running back Phil Mafah took a carry 83 yards for a touchdown. Yes, it was a lot of scoring.
Well, shortly after, Klubnik scored his third touchdown of the first quarter on a 41-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Briningstool. It has been a historic day for the junior quarterback, who is making a name for himself with this performance.
Jake Briningstool is one of 11 ACC players named to the 2024 Mackey Award Preseason Watch List. The award is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding tight end.
Clemson tight end Jake Briningstool was named to the 2024 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Friday. The annual award recognizes the most outstanding tight end in college football.
Briningstool had 50 catches for 498 yards and five touchdowns while starting all 13 games for the Tigers a season ago. The senior from Brentwood, Tenn., had a season-high nine catches in Clemson’s 38-35 victory over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl, finishing with 91 yards.
He totaled five catches for a season-high 126 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ 28-20 double-overtime loss at Miami on Oct. 21.
Semifinalists for the award will be announced Oct. 29 with the three finalists announced Nov. 26. The winner will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards Dec. 12 on ESPN.
Briningstool was one of 11 ACC tight ends named to the Mackey Award Preseason Watch List. Pitt’s Gavin Bartholomew was also named to the list, as was North Carolina’s John Copenhaver and Bryson Nesbit, Virginia Tech’s Nick Gallo, NC State’s Justin Joly, Florida State’s Kyle Morlock, Louisville’s Mark Redman, Cal’s Jack Endries, Stanford’s Sam Roush and SMU’s RJ Maryland.
Clemson has one winner in the history of the Mackey Award, established in 2020. Former Tiger Dwayne Allen won the award in 2011. Georgia’s Brock Bowers won the Mackey Award last season.
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Clemson’s offensive coordinator mentioned Phil Mafah, Cade Klubnik and Jake Briningstool as leaders on the Tigers’ offense heading into the season.
Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley believes there’s a lot of potential for leadership on the offensive side of the ball heading into the 2024 season.
Riley and other coaches spoke to the media Tuesday at the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex. When asked about leadership, Riley highlighted quarterback Cade Klubnik, running back Phil Mafah and tight end Jake Briningstool in particular.
Mafah is unquestionably the leader at running back for the Tigers after Will Shipley declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season. Mafah rushed for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns on 179 carries a season ago.
Riley described Mafah as a quiet leader.
“He’s gonna do it by his actions and his play and is just always doing the right thing,” Riley said of the Tigers’ senior tailback. “He’s certainly a guy that our guys look to.”
Briningstool, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound tight end out of Brentwood, Tenn., is also entering his senior season. He emerged as a true threat in 2023, catching 50 passes for 498 yards and five touchdowns in his first year as a full-time starter.
“Jake Briningstool comes to mind as someone who’s really improved and kind of emerged in that (leadership) role,” Riley said. “I’m really proud of him and his maturity and what he’s done in kind of taking that thing by the horns a little bit through the spring and this summer.”
As for Klubnik, Riley said he believes that a year of experience as the Tigers’ quarterback will help going forward. Klubnik started all 13 games a season ago and threw for 2,844 yards with 19 touchdowns to nine interceptions.
“I know Cade has certainly improved on (leadership) as well now that he’s played and kind of has some credibility that (he’s) been the guy for a year,” Riley said.
When asked if he’d had a conversation with Klubnik on taking the reins, Riley said that it was always a topic of conversation in the team’s quarterback room.
“That whole quarterback room, that’s something you’re always trying to evolve and get better with, and it’s one of those things where there’s a little bit of a fine line,” Riley said. “You can’t be a fraud and try to overdo it. You can’t do too little. In my mind, there’s kind of a balance and a happy medium to it and he’s certainly finding his own with it.”
Riley also spoke of the Tigers’ leadership up front and mentioned offensive linemen Tristan Leigh and Blake Miller as “guys that bring a lot to the table from a leadership standpoint.”
