Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Free State’s Braden Wilmes makes his commitment to Clemson University official by signing his letter of intent on Dec. 3 at Free State High School.
When Braden Wilmes found himself “cramping up in the middle of Clinton Lake” last summer, it was several of his teammates who sprang into action to rescue the 6-foot-8, 280 pound standout offensive lineman from a potentially dire situation.
“We had to go save him and swim him back to shore,” fellow Free State Firebirds’ offensive lineman Sammy Sengchan recounted of the dramatic incident.
On the field, it’s typically been Wilmes who prevents his teammates from being flattened by waves of defensive players aiming to sink the prospects of the Firebirds’ offense. At left tackle, Wilmes has spent the past three seasons anchoring an offensive line that has consistently opened up running lanes for a prolific rushing attack.
The Firebirds opened the 2025 season with a thrilling 35-34 triumph over reigning back-to-back state champion Gardner-Edgerton. During the game, Free State head coach Kevin Stewart dipped into his bag of tricks on a play that allowed Wilmes to step off the line of scrimmage and shift into motion. Wilmes then wound up as a lead blocker on a run that went for a big gain.
“It was a play that Braden enjoyed, but was also fun for everyone involved,” Stewart said.
The victory propelled the Firebirds to a 4-1 start, as both quarterback Finn Moore and tailback Maddon Brittingham routinely eclipsed 100 yards [and sometimes 200 yards] rushing for the Firebirds high-octane offense.
Wilmes said one of his fondest memories from his recently-concluded senior campaign transpired during the opening round of the Class 6A playoffs when Brittingham rushed for 283 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a 61-47 trouncing of Olathe East.
“I was hoping Coach Stewart would just keep feeding Maddon the ball every time we got near the red zone,” Wilmes said of the record-breaking performance. “It was amazing to have played a role in that.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Free State’s Braden Wilmes smiles while talking with teammates and coaches during the Firebirds celebration of senior players following their playoff loss in the regional finals.
When the season ended the following week in a 38-31 loss to Shawnee Mission Northwest, Wilmes didn’t sulk. Instead, he remained upbeat as he shook hands and offered words of encouragement to each of his teammates who are tentatively slated to return next season.
“Beyond the football skills, Braden is just a great guy,” Jace Thomas, a fellow senior offensive lineman said. “He has character, is a true leader and wants all of us to do well.”
And while Wilmes’ ultimate goal of bringing a state title to Free State fell short, his elite play on the field was rewarded with multiple Division I scholarship offers. Wilmes ultimately selected Clemson, his “dream school,” and plans to ink his national letter-of-intent on Wednesday.
“As long as I can remember I’ve been cheering for the Tigers,” Wilmes said, adding that his mother attended the university that originally opened its doors in upstate South Carolina as a military school in 1889.
“My parents were definitely excited, but would have been happy wherever I went,” Wilmes said. “And I think it was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Stewart recounted how Wilmes has remained “humble and committed to his teammates” while navigating a pressure-filled recruiting process. After attending various summer camps to showcase his abilities, and despite lengthy treks back to Lawrence, Wilmes would still be in attendance bright and early for summer weights the following morning.
“He was committed to being there and didn’t want to put himself above the team,” Stewart said. “What I will remember the most about Braden is his unselfishness.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Free State’s Braden Wilmes prepares to make a downfield block during a football game this season.
Wilmes’s teammates can also attest to the devotion ascribed by Stewart. Cameron Salb, who converted from defensive line to the offensive trenches near the tailend of the 2025 season, said that Wilmes always preached “effort” while also exuding excellence during practice.
“He basically kicked my ass every single time I lined up across from him,” Salb said. “But [after transitioning to offensive line], it was awesome getting to play side-by-side with him.”
Wilmes younger brother, Reece, called it “an honor” to be able to suit up alongside Braden for the first time this past season. He said that his brother’s mentorship has proven invaluable on and off the field.
“I’ve enjoyed every moment we’ve spent together as O-linemen,” Reece said. “So I’ll miss that going forward.”
Reece, a sophomore, added that Braden has helped him markedly improve in the areas of footwork and toughness. “My brother is always pushing me in practice and that has helped make me a tougher person.”
Reece also hopes to follow in his brother’s footsteps, as he has a number of early suitors — including Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa State.
Reece said he looks forward to picking up the slack in his brother’s absence next season, while other teammates acknowledged the loss will be a big void to fill.
“We’re going to have to rebuild our offensive line with the seniors we’re losing, especially with Braden being the leader of the O-line,” junior offensive lineman Xander Sowyer said.
To further illustrate that point, Sengchan said that Wilmes is like a coach on the field in that he “commands excellence” from his teammates. “Even when we were tiring out at the end of season, he still wanted us to give all of our effort.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Free State’s Braden Wilmes maintains a block while his quarterback Finn Moore follows him during a running play in a football game this season.
Wilmes entered his freshman season at 230 pounds while playing out the year on the freshman squad. As an ascending sophomore, he packed on another 25 pounds and quickly cemented his status as a varsity starter. Around the midpoint of Wilmes’ sophomore campaign in 2023, Stewart noticed that things were “beginning to click” for Wilmes.
During a film session, Stewart experienced his revelation about Wilmes. He noticed that the young blocker was becoming more cerebral on the field, as opposed to simply relying on brute force as he’d been doing the previous season on Free State’s freshman team.
“Braden realized that he had to figure out different ways to beat guys at the varsity level, instead of just mauling everyone,” Stewart said.
Momentum began to build in the recruiting process after Wilmes attended a football camp on Clemson’s campus in South Carolina, and performed well enough to catch the attention of Luke.
Prior to that, Wilmes had approached Stewart about his desire to play for Clemson. While it seemed somewhat far-fetched on the surface, it turned out that Stewart had a connection on the Clemson staff — as former Free State football player Joey Eddis was serving as a graduate assi. Eddis, who served as a point-of-contact for Stewart and Luke, is the nephew of Oklahoma Sooners’ head coach Brett Venables — who served as Clemson’s defensive coordinator prior to landing in Norman, Okla.
“From there, it was all on Braden; he went to camp and did a great job,” Stewart said. “Coach [Luke] said he did a really nice job, but I didn’t know it was going to turn into a full-on offer.”
During the process, Stewart said that Dabo told him that Wilmes has “real upside and potential to be successful” at the D1 level and was enamored with his “great size, athleticism, and length.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Free State’s Braden Wilmes runs up to celebrate a touchdown by Maddon Brittingham (33) during a football game this season.
According to a September article published by Clemson Insider, Sweeney is excited about the prospects of his 2026 recruiting class, ranked 16th nationally by ESPN.
“I think we’ve got a lot of help on the way in our incoming class. So, excited about those guys,” Swinney said, according to the Clemson Insider. “Most of those guys will be here in December or early January.”
Other schools in hot pursuit of Wilmes included Kansas, Kansas State, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Wilmes said he was attracted to Clemson’s recruiting philosophy that runs counter to the rise of Name, Image and Likeness and transfer portal dollars that have fundamentally altered the college athletics landscape. Swinney instead prioritizes cultural fit and quality over quantity — while shying away from robust NIL payouts and over-reliance on the transfer portal.
“The way Clemson recruits is very personal; they do their due diligence.” Wilmes said. “They only go after a select few guys, so getting that offer was pretty special.”
Stewart added: “The main reason I think it’s special that he’s going to Clemson is because of selectivity in who they recruit and offer. Even in the new era of NIL, they are not a team that is going into the transfer portal and getting a bunch of guys. That mindset tells you everything you need to know about them.”
Swinney, who has led the Tigers to two national championships and seven playoff appearances, conducted an in-home recruiting visit with Wilmes in December 2024. Also on the visit, Swinney and Clemson offensive line coach Matt Luke attended a Free State basketball game as Wilmes hit the hardwood.
“Dabo is a very genuine person,” Wilmes said. “What you see on TV is exactly who he is behind closed doors.”
Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports
Free State’s Braden Wilmes hugs his brother Reece after the regional finals.
Megan Bowers/Megan Bowers Photography
Free State’s Braden Wilmes poses for a photo with his family during signing ceremony where he committed to playing football at Clemson University.
Megan Bowers/Megan Bowers Photography
Free State’s Braden Wilmes poses for a photo with his Firebird teammates during signing ceremony where he committed to playing football at Clemson University.
Megan Bowers/Megan Bowers Photography
Free State’s Braden Wilmes poses for a photo with his Firebird teammates during signing ceremony where he committed to playing football at Clemson University.
