Swinney Calls This Unit ‘One of the Best Rooms on the Team’

Throughout the course of this offseason, a major emphasis for Clemson has been expanding the offense and developing the players who need their hands on the ball. Near the top of the list are the tight ends.

While senior Jake Briningstool headlines the room, there is needed growth behind him. In 2023, he racked up 498 yards with a team-leading five receiving scores, yet the closest tight end behind him only had seven catches.

Following Thursday’s scrimmage, head coach Dabo Swinney spoke on the growth and development of the tight end unit during the offseason and heading into the first week of the 2024 campaign.

“All those guys are making plays, it’s one of the best rooms on the team,” Swinney said of the tight ends. “From top to bottom, all of those guys can play.”

Swinney went on to mention Banks Pope, who can certainly bring something extra to the room. A 6-foot-4, 250-pound redshirt junior from Columbia, S.C., Pope had only one catch in 2023 for the Tigers. But with just 53 snaps played across seven games last year, he has much more opportunity this year to level his game up.

“Banks Pope, you don’t hear much about him, but he’s a guy, like, down-the-line guy,” Swinney said. “He brings a certain aspect to us, a little bit of a role guy as well.”

From the words of Swinney, all of the tight ends have been playing well and putting in the work. That includes redshirt sophomore Josh Sapp and sophomore Olsen Patt-Henry. Though they combined for only 102 yards last year, their ceiling is tall, as their development within the receiving game as well as blocking has only gotten better.

Redshirt freshman Markus Dixon is another player in the tight end room to keep an eye on. An interesting story, Dixon played quarterback, wide receiver, safety, tight end and defensive end as a three-year varsity starter at Archbishop Wood High School in Philadelphia.

After only five offensive snaps played in his redshirt campaign, the multi-talented Dixon enters the new year looking to make a bigger impact.

“Sapp had a great camp. Olsen had a big touchdown today, great camp,” Swinney said. “Markus Dixon has just been better and better and better.”

The tight end room is certainly a group to watch as the Tigers head into the 2024 season, starting off against the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta on Aug. 31.

“K-Rich (tight ends coach Kyle Richardson) has done a great job putting that group together,” Swinney said. “It’s deep — all of them have made strides, and we’re gonna need them.”

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