Clemson lands three 4-stars in two days, including state of Tennessee’s No. 1 recruit
Two more four-star commitments popped for Clemson’s 2021 class Sunday in the aftermath of the Tigers’ major junior day recruiting event Saturday.
Defensive end Cade Denhoff (6-5 225) of Lakeland, Florida and tight end Jake Briningstool (6-6 215) of Brentwood, Tennessee announced their commitments on Twitter. They follow fellow four-star wide receiver Beaux Collins of Bellflower, California, who made his commitment announcement Saturday night.
Denhoff picked the Tigers over LSU, and he also had Alabama, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Virginia and Georgia on his short list. He also visited Clemson for a game in October and saw things then that ultimately led to his commitment.
“Their culture is probably what I like most about them. That’s what stood out,” Denhoff said. “Their family atmosphere. They say they like my rangy, tall frame and my motor. Their defense is really good and they have had a history of getting to the quarterback. (Coach Brent) Venables puts the defensive line in great position to get sacks. Coach Venables talks a lot about my motor and how hot that is, which is usually the biggest thing with a lot of schools. That’s one of the things he likes the most, how I attack the ball carrier full speed all the time.”
Last season Denhoff had 92 tackles with 11 sacks. The 247Sports Composite ranks him the No. 7 strongside defensive end in the country and the No. 13 prospect in Florida.
Briningstool visited Clemson last June and also in September, and the Tigers built a strong lead for him through those earlier visits. He said following his in-season visit that his relationship with tight ends coach Danny Pearman was a big reason for that.
“I like Coach Pearman a lot,” Briningstool said. “He’s a real family guy and I really like that about him. He’s more of a father figure to the tight ends who are there now and I really, really like that about him.”
Briningstool also talked with head coach Dabo Swinney while on that visit and got the message from him about how he was viewed by the coaching staff.
“We just talked and he was telling me how much of a priority I am to the class and how I’m the only tight end they’ve offered so far and I’m the one they wanted,” Briningstool said. “That was a good conversation.”
Briningstool is rated the No. 2 tight end in the country and the No. 1 prospect in Tennessee by the 247Sports Composite. Last season he had 49 catches for 863 yards and nine touchdowns.
Some of his other offers included South Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Alabama, Duke, Florida State, LSU, Georgia, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Miami and Virginia Tech.
Collins, a Class of 2021 wide receiver, committed on Saturday night. He was a high school teammate of Clemson freshman quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.
Collins (6-3 195) is rated as a four-star prospect by 247Sports Composite. He’s ranked as the third best receiver in the country in his class and the No. 5 prospect in the state of California. According to stats from MaxPreps, Collins had 41 catches for 1,008 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. He averaged over 24 yards per catch.
Collins visited Clemson twice last year, once for a camp and the other for a game. Seeing the Tigers in person and the atmosphere around the game opened his eyes to what he might experience with them.
“The locker room after the game was the best part,” Collins said. “It just shows me that just as much as you can be serious and dialed in, you can also have fun and still be among the best. It was amazing seeing that crowd in person. And the way they stormed the field after the game with the players was very eye opening.”
The Tigers now have eight commitments for their 2021 class.