Clemson stars rave about freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr.

Wesco has been impressing the offense and defense since joining the program.

Clemson’s football squad sought reinforcements at the wide receiver position, and the arrival of five-star freshman Bryant Wesco could be the answer they’ve been looking for.

As an early enrollee, Wesco enters the scene with sky-high expectations, and rightfully so. With the Tigers in dire need of a dynamic playmaker at the position, Wesco’s coveted recruitment to Clemson only amplifies the anticipation surrounding his potential impact. When practices started, Wesco immediately impressed the defense. After the Tigers’ first spring scrimmage, offensive stars are now raving about the highly touted wide receiver. 

“He’s been great. He came in in January, we had a bunch of pre-spring workouts and throwing sessions, and he was always there. Just being a consistent guy just always showing up,” Clemson tight end Briningstool said. “Ever since practice started, he’s a freak. He just goes out there and makes plays. Great ball skills, take the top off the defense, and I think that’s going to be a big thing that we’ll need to help our offense explode next year.”

If the Tigers passing game can pick things up, it will open up the running game even more for star running back Phil Mafah. This is certainly something Mafah won’t complain about, with he, too, noticing Wesco’s ability early. 

“It was a two-minute drive, and it was a fade ball, and he just tipped the ball and then caught it with one hand, so that was awesome to see,” Mafah said. “He’s a consistent guy, he works, he’s not too cool to work, and he wants to get better, and you can just tell that he takes it seriously, and that’s what it takes.”

Could Wesco be Clemson’s next great wide receiver? We’ll get to see sooner rather than later!

Clemson’s Offensive Players of the Game for the Gator Bowl win over Kentucky

Here are our Offensive Players of the Game for Clemson’s Gator Bowl win over Kentucky.

Clemson, ranked 22nd, had a thrilling comeback to win 38-35 against Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Friday at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. The game was intense, and Clemson needed every play and nearly every second. Luckily, the Tigers, with an overall record of 9-4, had plenty of standout players who deserved recognition for their efforts in this game, which marked their fifth consecutive win to close the season.

Despite an uninspiring first half that saw Clemson held to just 55 rushing yards and only 10 points, the Tigers rallied for four fourth-quarter touchdowns, including Phil Mafah’s game-winning 3-yard rush with just 17 seconds remaining.

Mafah finished with 71 yards on 11 carries and four touchdowns, including three scores in the Tigers’ 28-point fourth-quarter rally. Mafah also had a pair of one-yard touchdown runs, plus another score on a 29-yard touchdown scramble.

Mafeh had some help from Will Shipley, though most of Shipley’s big plays came on special teams. Playing in perhaps his final college game, Shipley (11 carries, 29 yards rushing) delivered his two longest kick returns of the year.

He opened the game with a 34-yard return, then did one better with a 60-yard kick return in the fourth quarter that led to a Jonathan Weitz field goal from 52 yards. Weitz’s kick, his second of the game, put Clemson ahead, 30-28, with 4:20 remaining in the contest. Shipley was injured on the kickoff and did not return. He finished with 132 all-purpose yards for the day.

Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik also did his part in the victory, finishing 30-of-41 with 264 yards through the air. Klubnik’s performance included perhaps the biggest play of the game when he found receiver Antonio Williams on a third-and-18 play at midfield that gave Clemson a more manageable fourth-and-2.

Mafah’s five-yard gain on that fourth down kept the Tigers’ drive alive and allowed Clemson to take the lead for good on Mafah’s game-winning score.

Jake Briningstool led all receivers with nine catches to go with 91 yards for the Tigers.

5 Clemson players to watch closely vs. Georgia Tech

Here are five Clemson players to keep a close eye on ahead of the Tigers’ mathcup with Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Clemson and Georgia Tech are set to face off in Memorial Stadium at noon on Saturday, and there are several Tigers whom fans should keep a close eye on throughout the game.

Coming into Saturday, both Clemson (5-4) and Georgia Tech (5-4) are looking to win a sixth game and become bowl-eligible.

The Tigers are coming off their best win of the season last week, a 31-23 victory over Notre Dame. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets have won their last two games against North Carolina and Virginia.

That said, here are five Clemson players to watch closely on Saturday:

Clemson statistical leaders through eight games

Who scares you most on the Tigers?

This hasn’t been the season Clemson or any outsiders envisioned. While not everyone was anticipating another national championship, it’s doubtful anyone expected that by this point, the Tigers wouldn’t even been receiving votes in polls. A bowl isn’t out of the realm of possibility, but if November is a very bad month for the Tigers, it’s probable they’ll be watching bowl season at home. Talk about dropping off.

All of that said, there still is some talent on this Tigers team, especially on defense. If anything, these players are remnants of a time in the recent past when the Tigers were feared. Many might have picked Notre Dame to lose Saturday’s game at the start of the season, but that no longer is a certainty. This is why you play the games though: You never know what can happen.

Here are the Tigers most likely to have an impact when they face the Irish:

Jake Briningstool honored as the Mackey Award tight end of the week

Jake Briningstool was one of the few bright spots for the Tigers last weekend.

Award administrators for the John Mackey Award announced Wednesday that Clemson tight end Jake Briningstool has been named as the John Mackey Tight End of the Week for his performance against Miami (Fla.) last Saturday.

Briningstool recorded a career-high 126 yards on five receptions with two touchdowns in the contest. His 126 yards broke Clemson’s school record for single-game receiving yards by a tight end, surpassing Jordan Leggett’s 122 yards against Florida State in 2016.

The game was Briningstool’s first multi-touchdown game of his career. In the process, he became the third Clemson player to score two receiving touchdowns in a game this season, joining Tyler Brown and Antonio Williams. In addition to his two scoring hauls, Briningstool also recorded a career-long 50-yard reception in the third quarter.

Additional information from award organizers on Briningstool’s selection is included below.


New York, N.Y. – The John Mackey Award has named Jake Briningstool, Clemson 5-126 yds, 2 tds in 28-20 OT loss to Miami. Honorable mentions for this week include: AJ Barner, Michigan 8-99 yds td in 49-0 win over Michigan St. Cade Stover, Ohio St 4-70 yds.

The 2023 John Mackey recipient will be presented at The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN (TBA).

All future announcements can be found at www.johnmackeyaward.com.

The John Mackey Tight End of the Week is an honor distinct and different from the annual John Mackey Award. This weekly honor was started in 2004 to draw attention to individual play by Tight Ends during the active season. The Tight End of the Week acknowledgment does not have a direct bearing on the final John Mackey Award selection process. The John Mackey Tight End of the Week honor will run until the announcement of the eight Semi-Finalists.

The John Mackey Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 25 awards boast 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.

Please visit www.johnmackeyaward.com for all Mackey Award related information.

-Via Clemson Athletic Communications 

Clemson falls to Miami in double overtime after another sloppy, inconsistent performance

Clemson’s nightmare season continues with a double-overtime loss to Miami.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program’s nightmare season continues as the Tigers drop a road matchup against Miami 28-20 in double overtime.

After moving the ball to the Miami 2-yard line after a 23-yard pass to Tyler Brown, Clemson starting quarterback Cade Klubnik was tackled for an eight-yard loss on 4th and goal from the Miami 1-yard line to end the game. Clemson’s offense couldn’t get it done when they needed to the most.

Tight end Jake Briningstool did all the scoring for the Clemson offense in this one, scoring on a 32-yard touchdown grab and a 19-yard with 2:01 left in the third quarter to give Clemson a 17-7 lead. Following was a collapse from the Tigers.

Swinney’s team would later be outscored 21-3 in the fourth quarter, and double-overtime as the Hurricanes ran the ball all over this Clemson defense. In total, the Tigers’ defense allowed 211 yards on the ground.

It’s the same old story for the Tigers, who turned the ball over three times as they continue their sloppy and inconsistent football run. Two of these fumbles came on Miami’s side of the field, with one being on the one-yard line right before starting running back Will Shipley could cross the pylon.

Coming out of the Week 7 bye, expectations were high for this Clemson (4-3, 2-3 ACC) team, and it looked like they didn’t improve at all or learn from any of their mistakes in the first half of the season.

Clemson beats Florida Atlantic 48-14 after a solid performance from the Tigers

Clemson’s defense looked strong, and the offense did their job as the Tigers took down the Owls.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers handled business against Florida Atlantic, taking down the Owls 48- 14 in Death Valley Saturday night. 

The first half was excellent for the Tigers, who outscored the Owls 34-0 in the half. Nate Wiggins got the scoring going on his 46-yard pick-six, with freshman Khalil Barnes adding a first-half interception of his own.

The Clemson defense continually put the Tigers’ offense in a strong position; with Wade Woodaz also adding an interception, he took 59 yards to set up great field position for starting quarterback Cade Klubnik and the offense. On the offensive side of the ball, Clemson was solid but not spectacular.

Klubnik completed 16-27 passes for 169 yards and four total touchdowns. He threw three touchdown passes, with two to Tyler Brown and the third going to tight end Jake Briningstool. He added 35 yards and a touchdown on the ground. 

On offense, the Tigers totaled 204 passing yards and 163 rushing yards as Clemson comfortably took down FAU. They caused five turnovers in the win.

We now move on to the heavily anticipated Week 4 matchup against Florida State, which could be the season’s biggest game for Swinney and the Tigers. 

Clemson takes advantage of turnovers as Tigers extend lead to 20-0

Jake Briningstool got big in the end zone for this touchdown.

Wes Goodwin’s defense has come out in the first quarter against Florida Atlantic, looking like they had a point to prove.

Nate Wiggins took a pick-six to the house for the Tiger’s first score, and he wasn’t the only one to cause a turnover. Freshman Khalil Barnes joined the fun, snagging an interception on the FAU 26. 

Setting the offense up perfectly, the Tigers went four plays for 26 yards, making things look easy. Starting quarterback Cade Klubnik threw his second touchdown pass of the game, finding Jake Briningstool, who big-bodied a defender in the end zone for the score. 

The Tigers now lead the Owls 20-0 at the end of the first quarter. 

Swinney on Briningstool: “The sky’s the limit for this guy”

Dabo Swinney shared high praise for tight end Jake Briningstool heading into the season.

The Clemson football program may have lost their starting tight end to the 2023 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean the Tigers’ are left hanging at the position.

Stepping in for Davis Allen, starting tight end Jake Briningstool is ready for a more substantial role in the Tigers’ offense. After recording 25 catches for 285 yards and four touchdowns in 2022, Briningstool is ready to be the guy for Clemson’s offense and has the opportunity to be just that.

Head coach Dabo Swinney recently discussed Briningstool following the Tigers’ second scrimmage.

“Jake’s been ready to be the guy since he got here,” Swinney said. “Sometimes it’s hard to be patient, right, you know Davis Allen’s pretty good and I think Jake, he wanted to be the guy but he wasn’t ready to be the guy. He just maturity-wise wasn’t quite there and physically wasn’t quite there but was still able to be a productive player for us and man, he had a great guy like Davis Allen to really show him.”

Now physically ready, Briningstool has all the tools needed to be an elite tight end in college football. He’ll be a solid blocker, but his strengths are in his tremendous receiving ability.

According to Swinney, the sky is the limit for the young tight end heading into the season.

”Man, I’m really proud of Brinny. He’s done great, he is, sky’s the limit for this guy. I mean, he’s got his body in a great spot, he’s worked really hard, he’s matured, he’s smart, doesn’t make a lot of mental errors. He’s got elite ball skills and he really gets it and he’s hyper-competitive. I mean, he is a really competitive dude so there’s no limit to him,” Swinney said.

Expect Briningstool to make plays for the Tigers’ offense this season. Starting quarterback Cade Klubnik should regularly target the big-bodied tight end.

 

Jake Briningstool placed on the Mackey Award watch list

Jake Briningstool has been named to the Mackey Award watch list, awarded to the most outstanding collegiate tight end.

The Friends of John Mackey organization announced today that tight end Jake Briningstool has been named as one of 48 candidates on the watch list for the Mackey Award, presented annually to the nation’s top tight end.

The full 2023 Mackey Award Watch List is included below. Visit the 2023 Preseason Honors hub for more preseason accolades garnered by Clemson.


The Friends of John Mackey have released the 2023 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List. Given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end, the award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee.

Erick All, Iowa
Elijah Arroyo, Miami
AJ Barner, Michigan
Gavin Bartholomew, Pitt
Jaheim Bell, Florida State
Brock Bowers, Georgia
Jake Briningstool, Clemson
Sean Brown, Jacksonville State
Oscar Cardenas, UTSA
Jalin Conyers, Arizona
John Copenhaver, North Carolina
Devin Culp, Washington
Oscar Delp, Georgia
CJ Dipper, Alabama
Mason Fairchild, Kansas
Rivaldo Fairweather, Auburn
Terrance Ferguson, Oregan
Nick Gallo, Virginia Tech
Donovan Green, Texas A&M
Brady Hunt, Ball State
Neal Johnson, Louisiana
Theo Johnson, Penn State
Trey Knox, South Carolina
Brant Kuite, Utah
Luke Lachey, Iowa
Johnny Langan, Rutgers
Colston Loveland, Michigan
David Martin-Robinson, Temple
Josiah Miamen, FIU
Bryson Nesbit, North Carolina
Trent Pennix, NC State
Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss
Mark Redman, San Diego State
Tip Reiman, Illinois
Isaac Rex, BYU
Carson Ryan, UCLA
Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
Ben Sinnott, Kansas
Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota
Austin Stogner, Oklahoma
Cade Stover, Ohio State
George Takacs, Boston College
Mason Tayor, LSU
Michael Trigg, Ole Miss
Jacob Warren, Tennessee
Jared Wiley, TCU
Thomas Yasmin, Utah
Benjamin Yurosek, Stanford

Via Clemson Athletic Communications

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