Former Clemson Tigers Football Star Leads New Orleans Saints in Sacks
![Dec 29, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (90) reacts to making a tackle against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Dec 29, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (90) reacts to making a tackle against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at Caesars Superdome.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3314,h_1864,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_clemson/01jjr71amrya82nwv2kn.jpg)
The New Orleans Saints are in the throes of a head-coaching search. Whoever inherits the job will have one great building block to work with on the defensive side of the ball.
Second-year defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, who played his college football at Clemson, is coming off his best season as a pro.
Bresee built on his 2023 rookie season by finishing this past campaign with 7.5 sacks, which was not only his new career high as a pro but also the most for any New Orleans player last season.
The Saints were kind enough to put together a super-cut of Bresee’s second season with highlights of his biggest plays.
the team's leading sack leader for the 2024 season, Bryan Bresee 😤 pic.twitter.com/tGIX7IOwoF
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 28, 2025
Bresee finished the season with 25 combined tackles as he started 11 of the season’s 17 games. He also had seven tackles for loss for the second straight year.
The Saints had an awful season, as they finished 5-12 and last in the NFC South. The Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen during the season and interim coach Darren Rizzi was not able to turn things around.
One of the top candidates for the job is Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who has been a candidate for previous jobs and served as an NFL offensive coordinator for several years.
Bresee has two more years on his rookie deal with New Orleans. Because he was a first-round pick, the Saints will have the ability to pick up his fifth-year option after next season.
He played three seasons for Clemson before he declared for the NFL Draft after the 2022 season. The Saints selected him in the first round, No. 29 overall. He was selected All-ACC in all three seasons he played, including first-team honors in 2020.
He played in 26 games for the Tigers, as he finished his career with 64 tackles, nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss.
When he came out of Eric Wallich at Damascus High School in Damascus, Md, he was considered the No. 1 recruit in the country, and he chose the Tigers.
He was named a freshman all-American in 2020, during which the Tigers reached the College Football Playoff. He was also selected the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, only the second Tigers player to earn the honor. The other was Dexter Lawrence in 2016.