One of the four recruits to go public with a Clemson commitment over the weekend as part of the Tigers’ junior day gathering was TE Jake Briningstool of Brentwood, TN. The #1 ranked recruit in the Volunteer State for 2021 the #2 tight end nationally by the 247Sports combine chose the Tigers over Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.
Briningstool visited Clemson last summer and came back for a game this season and a postseason practice. And by the time he got back to the campus this weekend, he knew what he had to do.
“When I visited this summer, they took the lead in my recruiting when they first offered me,” Briningstool said “They’ve always been at the top and I’ve been comparing every school to them. We can down for a bowl practice in December and that’s when I knew this place is where I belong. I could tell I fit in with the guys. This weekend for the junior day, on Friday night, I got to hang out with some of the 2020 guys. It just felt like home and I just new it was time.”
The Tigers haven’t had that down-the-field threat at the tight end position since the departure of Jordan Leggett. Braden Galloway showed a flash of those skills in the national championship game against LSU. Briningstool knows the Tigers are bringing him in to help fill that void in the offense.
“When we came down in December, we sat down in the tight ends room with coach (Tony) Elliott and coach (Danny) Pearman and they put up the film from the 2016 season when they had Jordan Leggett,” Briningstool said. “They were just telling me different stuff they did with him and that’s how they would use me.”
With the four additions to the 2021 recruiting class, the Tigers now have the #1 ranked group in the country by the 247Sports composite. Of course, there is still plenty of work to be done, but Briningstool sees a close knit group being put together by Dabo Swinney and his staff.
“Four guys that were there yesterday committed over the weekend,” Briningstool said. “I just met these guys recently but I can tell these are friendships that are going to last forever and these are guys that I fit in with and like to be around. I’m excited.”
Over the last two seasons Briningstool caught 74 passes for 1188 yards and 10 touchdowns.
