Braden Wilmes is an offensive lineman from Lawrence, Kansas, who committed to Clemson on December 2, 2024, and enrolled in January 2026. At Lawrence Free State High School, he started three years at left tackle and logged over 2,000 career snaps. He earned third-team All-Sunflower League honors in 2023 before collecting first-team selections in 2024 and 2025, plus all-state recognition from the KFCA across all classifications and the KSHSAA 6A all-state team. Wilmes also competed in basketball for two seasons, averaging 10 points and seven rebounds as a junior. He maintains a 3.86 GPA and is a health science major at Clemson.