Clemson Tigers Have a Defensive Building Block in Linebacker Sammy Brown

Sammy Brown has emerged as a building block for the Clemson Tigers defense

Dec 7, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers linebacker Sammy Brown (47) celebrates after a play during the second quarter against the Southern Methodist Mustangs in the 2024 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers saw their season come to an end in the first-round of the College Football Playoff, but it was a strong campaign overall. 

After a down year in 2023, the Tigers had a strong campaign in 2024. Clemson was able to win 10 games and the ACC Title. 

The future of the program is looking bright, as they are expecting to have a lot of players back in 2025. 

On the offensive side of the ball, the Tigers could very well have one of the best units in the country as long as Cade Klubnik returns. They showed what they are capable of against the Texas Longhorns in the CFP, as their offense performed really well against one of the best defenses in the country.

While things look really promising on offense, the defense does have some work to do to improve. However, they did have one of the best freshman linebackers in Sammy Brown. 

Tom Luginbill of ESPN.com recently released his freshman All-American team. For the Tigers, he had linebacker Brown made the list. 

“The former five-star's mix of productivity, twitch and physicality landed him as the No. 13 overall player in the 2024 ESPN 300 and the second-best inside linebacker in the country when he arrived at Clemson. Brown made a strong first impression with 80 tackles and five sacks in his debut year. His production took off once Clemson inserted him into the starting lineup for good on Nov. 9. Brown had 54 tackles and a pair of sacks in his ensuing six games including a 14-tackle showing against SMU in the ACC championship and 10 more tackles against Texas in the College Football Playoff. He has all the requisite building blocks to become a highly productive staple in the second level of Dabo Swinney's defense for quite some time.”

As a freshman, Brown totaled 80 tackles, five sacks, and three passes defended. In the last four games of the season, the 19-year-old really came on. 

During that span, he totaled 44 tackles with a sack. Having double-digit tackles in three out of the four games is a very encouraging sign of what he can be next season. 

Since Clemson will be losing Barrett Carter to the NFL next year, having Brown being able to step in will be important for next year. The Tigers might see some changes on the defensive side after their struggles last season, but a player like their freshman linebacker is a building block.