Clemson Football Recruiting: 2021 No. 2 TE Jake Briningstool Commits to Tigers

Four-star tight end Jake Briningstool announced his commitment to join the Clemson Tigers in their 2021 class on Twitter Sunday morning:

The Brentwood, Tennessee, product was on campus in South Carolina on Saturday for junior day, per 247Sports' Anna Hickey, who also noted that Briningstool is the highest-ranked tight end recruit Clemson has landed since head coach Dabo Swinney took over in 2008.

"The culture and the family feel," Briningstool told Hickey, referencing the factors in his decision. "Coach Swinney has a built a special program that's built to last. There's no other program like Clemson's."

247Sports ranks Briningstool as the No. 2 2021 Tennessee recruit, No. 6 among 2021 tight end prospects and 164th among all 2021 prospects.

Briningstool received 28 offers, including Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota and Oregon. Briningstool's father, Tony, played linebacker at Michigan from 1987-92 with Nick Saban as his position coach, but Clemson edged those family connections. 

"My whole family went to coach Swinney's office and spent time with him in his office," Briningstool told Hickey when describing his December visit. "He told me to take my time with my decision and look around other places, because Clemson is unique and I'll see that when I visit other places. Hopefully in the end, he said I'll choose Clemson."

Briningstool brings Clemson's 2021 commitment total to six, and he is the only tight end as four-star tight end Cane Berrong opted to commit to Notre Dame last June. 

Four-star defensive end Cade Denhoff and four-star Beaux Collins each announced his commitment to Clemson this weekend too:

Clemson tight ends Davis Allen, J.L. Banks, J.C. Chalk, Braden Galloway, Jaelyn Lay and Luke Price combined for 26 catches and 239 yards in 2019. 

Briningstool will bring game-changing talent to a position that needs it. 

The No. 2 Tigers lost the College Football National Championship Game 42-25 to top-ranked LSU earlier this month, snapping a 29-game winning streak that dated back to the 2017 CFP semifinal.