We’re a few weeks into June, and the sweet melody of romance hums through the air like a cicada in the night—constant, electric, and impossible to ignore.
As we keep swiping through the Kansas City Chiefs organization, searching for someone worth a right swipe, Jake Briningstool popped onto the screen. It’s the 6-foot-6, 240-pound tight end from Clemson who looks like the love child of Ivan Drago and Catherine Trammell.
With fellow tight end Travis Kelce’s celebrity growing by the day and Noah Gray locked in as a dependable right-hand man, there might still be room in the tight end room for a new hot commodity.
And keep in mind, as with all the guys in this series: if an undrafted free agent makes the team and records any stats in the 2025 season, that’s a win.
Background
Briningstool came out of Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee, and while both his town and school sound like they were named by a CW showrunner for a teen drama packed with slow-motion football montages and hallway heartbreak, he was the real deal. A four-star recruit, Briningstool ranked among the top 100 players nationally in his class and was the No. 3 tight end prospect in the country.
For a while, it looked like he was destined to become a Michigan State Spartan — mainly because his dad played linebacker for them back in the day.
Jake said he understood at an early age how much family means, and that was reinforced when he went through the recruiting process. His dad, Tony, played linebacker at Michigan State from 1987-92, and both of his grandparents were Spartans. His grandparents went to Michigan St. His cousin, Garrett Briningstool, worked with Tom Izzo and the Spartan basketball team. His sister Julia is currently at Michigan St., and Jake lived in East Lansing, going to Michigan St. camps until 2012.
His first offer was from Michigan St., but the family let him choose his own course.
“They (Michigan St.) were my first Power Five offer coming out of my sophomore year. I think we visited up there plenty of times. We had a lot of good connections up there, but I think they’re going through a coaching change at the time,” Briningstool said. “The biggest thing for me was just trying to figure out the spot that fit me. I think one cool thing about my parents was they didn’t put any pressure on me to choose Michigan State. They didn’t put any pressure on me to do any of that. The only thing they said is I couldn’t visit Michigan.”
But ultimately, it was the pitch from head coach Dabo Swinney that lured him into Clemson orange. As a fun note, much like Kelce, Briningstool has a bit of a background throwing the ball, too, as you’ll see in the highlight below.
The prospect
Briningstool is the all-time leader in Clemson history in receptions and receiving yards by a tight end, which sounds like a big deal, until you remember the Tigers haven’t exactly built their offense around the position. His college numbers are solid, but they don’t exactly leap off the stat sheet and scream generational talent.
His best season came in 2024, when he caught 49 passes for 530 yards and seven touchdowns.
Briningstool isn’t a burner. He posted a lukewarm 4.75 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, and that lack of top-end speed shows up on tape. Creating separation at the next level could be a challenge.
That said, he’s a polished route runner with a good feel for depth and spacing — someone who consistently finds soft spots in zone coverage.
While he can occasionally lose focus and drop a catch he shouldn’t, he flashes strong hands, a wide catch radius, and the ability to pluck the ball cleanly away from his body.
Jake Briningstool has a big frame, and he used it to help make contested catches. He does a good job of fighting off the DB, concentrating, and hauling in the contested catch with one hand. pic.twitter.com/s7DTWCiORj
— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) May 29, 2025
Briningstool does a solid job of using his size to his advantage in the passing game, but what really sets him apart is his motor. He’s a high-effort player who doesn’t take reps off.
He’s not a traditional in-line tight end, and he’s not a true Y, either. He’s a hybrid — a versatile mix of both. One play he’s lined up next to the tackle, the next he’s split out wide at X receiver.
An often-overlooked part of Briningstool’s game is his blocking. He’s aggressive with above-average grip strength, and he brings a genuine willingness to scrap. He shows solid footwork, a good understanding of leverage, holds his own against bigger defenders, and is always down for a battle.
So… is he crushworthy?
The Chiefs are already three deep at tight end, so Briningstool faces an uphill climb when it comes to making the roster. That said, he’s an entertaining player to watch and easy to root for. If he can clean up some of the drops, he’s got the tools to belong on an NFL roster.
And honestly, that’s good enough for me. We might not see the Chiefs keep him in the end, but there’s a little slice of my heart that’s his — even if it’s not forever. I’m totally fine with having a crush for now.
