Three Rising Clemson Tigers Stars Recognized on All-Freshman Team

The Clemson Tigers had three of their young breakout stars named to the PFF All-Freshman team.

Dec 7, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers linebacker Sammy Brown (47) tackles Southern Methodist Mustangs running back Brashard Smith (1) in the fourth quarter in the 2024 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In a year that saw freshman stars breakout across the country, few teams had as many as the Clemson Tigers.

Pro Football Focus recently released their 2024 College All-Freshman team and the Tigers were represented by three different players: wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr., linebacker Sammy Brown and kicker Nolan Hauser.

Clemson was the only school to have three different players make the list and only a couple even had two players on there.

Wesco was a four-star wideout recruit that developed quicker than anyone expected. He wasn't even the highest rated recruit at the position for the Tigers.

He was still a top-60 overall player in the class, so expectations were high, but he quickly became a big play threat.

The Texas native had 41 catches for 708 yards with five touchdowns. He averaged over 17 yards per catch, proving his playmaking status.

For the first few weeks of the year, he had a couple of standout plays but struggled with consistency. Over the final five weeks of the season, though, he had at least three catches per game.

His breakout was needed as Antontio Williams entered the year as the only proven weapon out wide. Wesco finished second on the team in receiving yards.

Brown was an even higher-touted recruit, a five-star linebacker sitting in the top-15 of the nation. He was the second overall player at his position.

With Barrett Carter and Wade Woodaz back at the position, it was unclear how much Brown was going to be needed. He started out in a fairly small role that grew as the season went on.

He was one of the few Clemson defenders that graded out well against the run, or at least solid.

The freshman finished third on the team with 79 total tackles and second with five sacks. He will be a key part of the defense for the next few years and already looks like a star at the position. His coverage is the main thing that needs to improve.

The last Tiger on the list was Hauser, a much-needed breakout at kicker. He was a conference-best 59-of-60 on his extra points this year. He was 18-of-24 on his field goals.

He was the top kicker in the country out of high school and quickly lived up to the hype.

The year before, Clemson completed just 62.5% of their field goals, so they must have been happy to finally have a real kicker on the roster.

All of these guys will have even larger roles on the team next season and will hopefully guide next year's freshman class to be just as impactful.