Clemson Tigers tight end Jake Briningstool was listed among 16 players signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as undrafted free agents on Saturday.
The official list shows which rookies that were not selected in the NFL draft will join the Chiefs during their rookie minicamp. It’s a step up from a rookie mini-camp invitation, as undrafted free agents have a higher likelihood of making the training camp roster.
Briningstool was the only Tigers player on the list for the Chiefs, who have won three Super Bowl titles in the last six years and made two additional Super Bowl appearances.
He won’t be catching passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes just yet. Veterans typically don’t attend rookie camp. But if Briningstool continues with the Chiefs through the NFL offseason, their paths will probably cross at an organized team activity or a mandatory minicamp later this offseason.
He also could be seen as a potential heir to Travis Kelce, the All-Pro tight end who some insiders believe may be playing his last year in the NFL. His brother, Jason Kelce, retired after the 2023 season after an All-Pro career with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Briningstool left his mark on the Clemson program as a tight end, where he played his entire four-year college career.
He wrapped up hits Tigers career as their all-time leader in career receptions by a tight end with 127, breaking Jordan Leggett’s mark, which was set in 2024.
He was also a two-time All-ACC honoree who joined Jim Riggs, Bennie Cunningham, Dwayne Allen and Leggett as the fifth Clemson tight end to earn multiple All-ACC selections in his career.
Along with his 127 career receptions, he had 1,380 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in 48 career games, 26 of which were starts. He finished second in school history in receiving touchdowns and receiving yards.
He finished his career tied for the seventh-most receptions by a tight end in ACC history. His three career 100-yard receiving games were a Clemson tight end record.
Last season he caught 49 passes for 530 yards and seven touchdowns. His receiving yards and touchdowns were career highs for a season.
In 2023, his 50 receptions tied the Clemson single-season school record for a tight end. He also had 498 yards and five touchdowns.
In 2022, his sophomore season, he caught 25 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns. He caught just three passes his freshman year and played in eight games.
