Will Christian Bentancur see the field?
For this spring? That’s easy: No, he won’t. He isn’t even enrolled yet. He’s hoopin’ with his high school team in Illinois.
Cool moment from last week captured by @nwh_JoePrepZone: Clemson 2024 TE signee Christian Bentancur becomes the only athlete in Illinois history w 200 career catches in football and 2,000 career points in basketball pic.twitter.com/rdksc6IUr5
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) February 19, 2024
Bentancur won’t join the team until the summer, but we can still get some indication of whether we could see him much in 2024.
One of the things we always note when we discuss the potential for a true freshman to contribute right away is the need (or lack thereof) that exists at the position. With Briningstool locked in as the feature tight end, there won’t be a ton of snaps for the rest. If Sapp, Patt-Henry, and Dixon all prove reliable backups, then Bentancur would have to be the next Brock Bowers (in other words, just too talented to keep on the bench) to see the field right away in 2024.
Then there is the opposite scenario. We haven’t seen much of Patt-Henry and little of Dixon. If they aren’t developing as well as Riley and tight ends coach Kyle Richardson expect, that could open the door for Bentancur.
Looking at it from a different perspective: Bentancur is one of the highest-rated recruits from the 2024 Class. If Sapp, Patt-Henry, and Dixon want to climb the depth chart or maintain their current position, they probably need to give the coaches a reason to stay focused on them instead of Bentancur’s arrival in July.