ESPN identifies Sammy Brown as Clemson's 'most impactful' newcomer

Sammy Brown is a strong candidate for ACC defensive rookie of the year, says ESPN.

by TigerNet Staff - Wed May 01 10:00:03 GMT-04:00 2024

Clemson's incoming freshman football class has plenty of excitement, and two have made the offseason news cycle out of the spring.

ESPN named the "most impactful newcomer" for each of its preseason Top 25, and for Clemson, that's 5-star linebacker Sammy Brown.

"Brown can step in at middle linebacker and replace Jeremiah Trotter Jr.'s production. He's already mastered the weight room and physical aspects of football as a true freshman," ESPN's Billy Tucker said. "Brown needs to continue progressing this summer, learning the nuances of middle linebacker, namely aligning the defense pre-snap. While Clemson does return some experience, Brown appears a perfect fit for the Mike linebacker position in defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin's scheme. He's as strong a candidate for ACC Rookie of the Year honors as any prospect in this class."

For those interested in hopping on the Sammy Brown hype train, here’s the true freshman LB and former 5-star recruit running past Clemson’s starting left tackle for a “sack” on his very first defensive snap of the spring game earlier today (via ACCNX broadcast) pic.twitter.com/9q0vPMqcoS
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) April 6, 2024

On the offensive side, CBS Sports' spring "overreaction" is that wide receiver Bryant Wesco will be the spark plug for the Clemson passing attack.

"In 10 seasons of Clemson football from 2011-2020, the Tigers had a 1,000-yard receiver in all but two seasons (2015, 2017). It was a truly remarkable run that included future pros Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Williams and Tee Higgins among others," CBS' Chip Patterson said. "But in the last three years (2021-23), no Clemson receiver has finished with more than 604 yards in a season and none from those teams have been selected in the NFL Draft. The tide seems to be turning, however, and one reason to believe that was the spring performance of early enrollee freshman Bryant Wesco. The blue-chip projections for Wesco are already playing out on the field as both coaches and teammates have been offering offering positive reviews all spring, and he even showed out with a diving over-the-shoulder touchdown grab in the spring game.

"Wesco specifically might not be the top candidate to be a 1,000-yard receiver for Clemson in 2024 -- Antonio Williams, Tyler Brown, Troy Stellato have an experience edge for playing time -- but his tools and talent are reminiscent of the days when Clemson had future NFL Draft picks at the position rolling in year-after-year."