Swinney says he's better for coaching 'special group' of seniors

Barrett Carter is a key cog of a small class of departing seniors.

Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Sunday, December 22 2024

AUSTIN - While Saturday marked the end of the season for some Clemson Tigers, it marks the end of a collegiate career for others such as tight end Jake Briningstool and linebacker Barrett Carter. After the game, head coach Dabo Swinney reflected on the end of his college career and how sad this time always is.

“Just disappointing. It’s sad. It’s always sad when it ends, even when it ends exactly the way you want it. My last game, we won the National Championship, and I was happy that we won, but I was really, really sad that I wasn’t going to be playing football anymore,” Swinney said. “When you play this game and you put so much into this game, it’s sad when it ends, regardless of how it ends, especially when you really truly, truly love the people that you’re with. I mean, I really love these guys. There was not one day that I did not love coming to work with this group.”

Briningstool finished the final game of his college career with four receptions for 69 yards. He leaves Clemson as one of the best tight ends in their history, which is quite the feat. No tight end has caught more passes in the Tigers’ history. In his four years, he played 48 games. In those games, he recorded 127 receptions for 1,380 yards and 17 touchdowns. His longest career reception was for 50 yards last season against Miami when he recorded 126 receiving yards and two touchdowns. It was one of three multi-touchdown games in Briningstool’s career.

Especially this year, Briningstool has stepped up as a leader for the Tigers offense and in the tight end room. He will leave behind a talented room with players such as redshirt sophomore Josh Sapp, sophomore Olsen Patt-Henry and true freshman Christian Bentancur.

“I’m just thankful again for the leadership of these guys. I’m going to miss them. That’s the hard part. We do a lot of life with these guys when you meet them and know them for a long time,” Swinney said. “This is a special, special group of young men and great career that they had. They did so many great things. Just a blessing to do life with them. And a blessing to the families, what they’ve done here at Clemson.”

Carter is a two-time All-American who was named a finalist for the Butkus Award, given annually to the best linebacker in the nation. It made him the seventh player in Clemson’s history to be named a finalist for that award. After recording six tackles against Texas, including three solo tackles, Carter finished his final season with 82 tackles, 42 of those being solo tackles. In his four seasons with Clemson, he recorded 233 tackles in 51 games as well as 12.5 sacks, 33 tackles for loss, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

Between Briningstool, Carter and the numerous other players who played their final collegiate game Saturday against Texas, this senior class will be one to remember with many players who will be playing on Sundays in the NFL. Swinney expressed how proud he is of this group for getting the Tigers back to the playoffs but also the hurt he feels as the players believed they could win throughout the entire game.

“I’m really, really proud of all those seniors. My heart really hurts for them because it was never - actually never until they got the stop right there at the end and taking a knee, there was never a moment that I didn’t think we were going to win the game. I really saw that in their eyes,” Swinney said. “This has been a special group of seniors, a special group. I’m better being able to do life with them. Clemson is better, and they’re leaving us in a much better spot than when they got here. Great career. They won a couple championships, and they got us back to the playoffs.”

The 2025 NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 24 (ABC). The Tigers will surely have plenty of players drafted from this senior class, including a potential first-round prospect in Carter. Clemson has had at least one player drafted in the first round for the past two seasons and 10 players drafted in the first round since 2019.