Swinney says Sammy Brown is getting into a position to help this fall

Sammy Brown was locked in from his first play of the spring game, which was a sack on Cade Klubnik.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Apr 10 07:00:02 GMT-04:00 2024

CLEMSON - Clemson returns linebackers Barrett Carter and Wade Woodaz this season, but the younger players on the roster showed this spring that the future is in good hands as well.

Carter, the established veteran, didn’t play in Saturday’s spring game. The starter at weakside linebacker, the coaches know what they’ve got in Carter and didn’t want to risk an injury to their star. Woodaz inherited the starting middle linebacker spot from Jeremiah Trotter.

It was freshman linebacker Sammy Brown, however, who got on the board early. On the first play from scrimmage against the Orange team, Brown burst through the line and sacked quarterback Cade Klubnik. He wound up with eight tackles on the day to lead both teams.

Brown was named the No. 1 “Freak Athlete” in the nation by 247Sports and received the 2023 High School Butkus Award, presented each year to the top high school linebacker in the nation. Brown played both ways in high school and had outstanding numbers as a running back, rushing for 2,289 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2023. He averaged an incredible 9.0 yards per rush and 163.5 yards per game while posting 11 games with 100-plus rushing yards in 2023.

He scored 40 touchdowns overall, and his 2,289 rushing yards were fourth-most in the state and 46th-most in a single season in Georgia high school history. On defense, he amassed 153 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three blocked kicks, and two interceptions. As a punter, he averaged 44.5 yards on 36 punts, with 15 downed inside the 20.

At Clemson, it’s all about linebacker for Brown.

“He's a natural. He's still grasping everything,” head coach Dabo Swinney said. “You have to remember - this kid played every snap almost on both sides of the ball. And so now he's getting exposed to a lot more defensively. And we've kept him at one spot all spring really trying to just hone him in. I mean, he's got the speed and the talent to really play wherever, but we're just trying to really build a good foundation for him. So, it's a good group. He's glad that he was able to come in early and get a lot of this learning curve cut down a little bit. So now he can go attack the summer and fall camp, and hopefully, by September, he can be in a position to help us.

“But it starts with (Wade) Woodaz, and it starts with Barrett (Carter). Those are two really special players and the good thing for Sammy is he's got them as a model of what it should look like.”

Sophomore Jamal Anderson Jr. returned an interception for a touchdown and Dee Crayton turned in a sack. Kobe McCloud is also vying for playing time.

“And then I'm really proud of Kobe. Kobe had a really good spring for us,” Swinney said. “He's just a good football player. He's just a guy that lacks a few measurables, but he makes plays every day because he just really has a good football IQ and understands things. He’s tough. He can run. Jamal Anderson had an outstanding day and that's what's fun about a game like this, because now he's going out and if you have to go start and play some big, big minutes you can.

“And man, it was awesome. That was an unbelievable play that he made and then came back and made another one, but there was a penalty, so really happy for him. Dee Crayton right out of the gate having a sack as well. So that whole group is coming together, and we got more on the way Drew Woodaz will soon be showing up here, and CJ Kubah-Taylor is coming in here over the summer. I think it'll be a good little group. A lot of competitive guys that have a chance to compete and get on the field.”