Clemson’s tight end room is one of the more interesting pieces of the offense heading into 2026, and it feels like a group that could matter a lot more than the raw receiving numbers suggest.
The Tigers did not get much production there last season. Their top tight end receiver finished with 215 yards, which was more than 300 yards shy of Jake Briningstool’s total from 2024. But with Chad Morris taking over the offense, there’s a clear sense that the position is going to be featured more heavily next year.
That starts with Olsen Patt-Henry, the senior and the room’s leading returner in total yards. He’s not just a pass catcher with reliable hands.
Clemson views him as its best blocking tight end, and that matters in an offense Morris wants to build around the run game. Clemson had stretches last season where it couldn’t run the ball consistently, and Morris has made it clear that’s an area he wants to fix in 2026.
“I firmly believe that Olsen has a chance to be very special in this offense,” he said back in February. “I think he’s very versatile.”
Patt-Henry could also be used as an H-back, which only adds to his value. A new quarterback’s best friend is often a tight end, and Patt-Henry’s role could make him more productive than he was in 2026. He also dealt with lingering injuries during the season, including being out of the spring.
If the fit is right, the Naples, Fla., native looks like the safest bet to be Clemson’s top tight end next season.
The more intriguing upside play may be Christian Bentancur’s teammate, Brooking. The redshirt freshman is a bit of a swing choice here, but he’s a former top-30 tight end in the Class of 2025 and brings a strong frame along with some serious football bloodlines. His father, Keith, was a five-time Pro Bowl selection as an NFL linebacker and played for several professional teams.
At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Brooking barely saw the field in 2025, but he made his lone catch count. That reception came against Furman and went for a four-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone. He has the athleticism to turn more of those chances into plays down the road, and 2026 could be the year that starts to show up.
Playing time may be hard to come by early, though, because Patt-Henry and Bentancur are ahead of him. Even so, Brooking could become a name to watch in the second half of the season if he starts to climb the rotation.
Bentancur deserves attention too. He led the tight end group in receiving yards last season, and with the way Morris has talked about the offense, two-tight-end sets should be a regular part of the plan. That would put Bentancur on the field alongside Patt-Henry, giving Clemson a pair of athletic tight ends to work with.
He may also be the best pass-catching tight end Clemson has right now, which should earn him early looks from the quarterback.
After those three, the depth chart gets thinner. Charlie Johnson is the next name in line, and he logged plenty of spring reps while Patt-Henry was sidelined. He served as the other blocking tight end at times because of his frame, and he also brings some of the most experience in the room for Kyle Richardson.
Jack Wolf is also in the mix as a reserve after serving as a women’s basketball manager last season. Tayveon Wilson, a three-star recruit, could see some garbage-time snaps, though Dabo Swinney may prefer to give him another year of development before he gets real run.
However it shakes out, Clemson’s tight ends should be worth watching in 2026. The group may not pile up receiver-style yardage, but there should be plenty of work that helps the offense function the way Morris wants it to.
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A new national ranking is offering a different kind of spotlight on Dabo Swinney, and it is not the sort Clemson fans are used to seeing. RotoWire put together a list of the most hated college football coaches using social media sentiment and a fan survey, and Swinney landed near the top of it, sitting behind only Lane Kiffin and Deion Sanders.
The ranking says as much about perception as it does about results, which is part of why it stands out for a coach whose Clemson resume includes a long run of success. RotoWires explanation points to Swinneys public stance on NIL and the transfer portal, along with the way some fans view his messaging about how he wins, leaving his place on the list as a reminder that national opinion can look very different from what a home crowd sees. [Read more 🡒]