Richardson ‘Really Excited’ to Have This Freshman in TE Room

The tight end room for Clemson is headlined by the leading man himself, Jake Briningstool, and he wears that crown well.

Heading into the 2024 season, there is no doubt Briningstool holds the starting spot at tight end. His stats last year show it — he caught 50 balls for nearly 500 yards and five scores, which led all receivers, and his blocking is highly valuable at his position.

With all that in mind, the spots behind him remain in question. Tight ends coach Kyle Richardson took to the media Tuesday during Clemson’s annual Media Day at the Allen Reeves Football Complex to give out some insightful information on who is coming up.

A name that stood out among his comments on the day was freshman recruit Christian Bentancur. A four-star prospect out of Lakemoor, Illinois, he put up 3,867 receiving yards in his high school career, which is second all-time in Illinois high school history.

“I’m really excited about having him in the room. I spent a long time recruiting that dude and a lot of trips to Chicago, a lot of wind and snow,” Richardson said of his trials in recruiting Bentancur. “I’m really glad he’s here, and I’m not chasing him in Chicago anymore.

“He’s been here a few weeks…the strength staff has been with him full time. He’s done a good job of acclimating to college so far, taking a little summer school. Starting this week, we’ll start doing a little bit of football meeting stuff with them, so I’m interested to see how he starts taking those meetings.”

Not only did Richardson update the progress of the national talent’s arrival, but he also gave insight on what he is all about and what he will be working on.

“There’s a physical side to being a freshman, but the mental side is usually bigger,” Richardson said. “If you look at Christian, you’re like, ‘Man, that dude looks like he can play right now.’ That’s just one piece of it. I’ve got to see how he takes on the mental (piece).”

When asked about the chances of Bentancur taking a jump into competition, Richardson responded deliberately.

“All the guys are in competition,” he said. “Around here, we talk about it all the time — you’ve got to earn it. He hasn’t earned it because he was a highly recruited guy. He’s got to come in and do his work. At the same time, I’m not going to hold him back if he earns it and he’s the best player on the field.”

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