Clemson Football: 5 Tigers who will blow up in 2023

Clemson defensive end Xavier Thomas talks with media during a press conference in the Smart Family Media Center at the Allen N. Reeves football complex in Clemson, S.C. Monday, August 7, 2023.
Clemson defensive end Xavier Thomas talks with media during a press conference in the Smart Family Media Center at the Allen N. Reeves football complex in Clemson, S.C. Monday, August 7, 2023. /
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Jake Briningstool

Over the years, Clemson Nation has clamored for another big-time tight end to be productive. Following names like Dwayne Allen, Brandon Ford, and Jordan Leggett, the Tigers had a run of players at tight end who were more disposed to being blockers or simply didn’t live up to the hype.

Davis Allen had a productive career, and some observers suggested that this was what we could expect from the tight end position moving forward. They expressed that the days of the impact tight end were probably in the past.

Now with the new system introduced for the offense by Riley, we aren’t sure what to expect from the tight ends. One thing we have heard about Riley, though, is he uses the talent that he has.

One can make an argument that the best pass catcher on the roster this season is Briningstool, who waited his turn behind Davis Allen and now appears poised to make an impact as a starter.

Riley has stated that tight end is a critical position for this offense for the blocking aspects as much as anything, and the one place Briningstool hasn’t blown anyone away is in the blocking scheme.

If Briningstool can master the blocking side and become a dual-purpose tight end, that means the offense will be less predictable and Riley will be able to disguise more plays to the tight end.