Clemson Football Junior Tight End Tabbed As Team’s Best Hidden Gem

The Clemson Tigers are going to need some players to step up next year if they wish to get back to the College Football Playoff.

Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon recently highlighted one of the top candidates, naming tight end Olsen Patt-Henry as their best “hidden gem” player.

Patt-Henry will have some massive shoes to fill at tight end with Jake Briningstool headed to the NFL. Briningstool had become one of Cade Klubnik’s top targets.

Over the last two seasons alone, the tight end had produced 99 catches for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns. It is hard to expect much more from a tight end that isn’t one of the top players in the entire country.

Briningstool was a bit taller, but also lighter than Patt-Henry. They are quite different as players, but it will be hard for them not to be compared given that they will have the same quarterback throwing them the ball.

Klubnik should already trust Patt-Henry, at least near the red zone, given that a third of his catches last year produced scores.

That rate isn’t going to continue as his role increases, but it should be nice for him to have some experience with the star passer.

He has 12 career catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Most of that came from last season.

The junior was a four-star recruit in the 2022 class. There is a lot of hope that he can really turn into a star on offense, given that he was recruited for his pass-catching ability.

He was more of a hybrid player in high school and had over 1,000 yards during his junior year, per his 247Sports scouting report from Andrew Ivins. Like many big play tight ends, he was a basketball player as well.

There is plenty of competition on the Tigers offense, which could actually end up as a good thing for Patt-Henry.

The wide receiver room should be able to open up the field, looking as deep as it has been in years. Briningstool was the fourth-leading receiver in yards and second in scoring, that should be a realistic goal for the new starting tight end.

Patt-Henry certainly has the good graces of the coaching staff on his side as he has not shied away from being a great blocker even with his lighter offensive load these past couple of seasons.

He will be one of the top players to watch this year for Clemson.