Clemson’s preseason hardware run is already underway, and the latest name to join the list is linebacker Sammy Brown.
On Tuesday, Brown was named a First-team Preseason All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The rising junior is coming off a First-team All-ACC season in 2025, and the recognition only adds to the buzz surrounding what could be a major year for him in Clemson’s defense.
Brown’s 2025 production was as loud as his reputation. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker logged 106 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, five pass deflections, one forced fumble and one interception in 13 games.
He spent significant snaps at WILL next to Wade Woodaz, who was later drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Brown’s work also earned him First-team All-ACC honors and a Third-team All-America nod from Phil Steele.
Now the spotlight shifts squarely onto him. With Woodaz gone, Brown is set to be the centerpiece of Clemson’s linebacker room in 2026.
That comes with some added pressure, especially because he’ll be the most experienced player in the group by a wide margin. Kobe McCloud, the projected starter, has spent the past four years as a backup, while Jeremiah Alexander transferred in from Alabama last summer and has also been in reserve roles.
Even with that backdrop, the expectation around Brown keeps climbing. Many fans and media members believe he could make another leap this season and put himself in position to become a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
That kind of talk traces all the way back to his arrival in Clemson. Brown came out of Jefferson High School in Georgia as a consensus five-star recruit and the No. 14 overall player in the 2023 class. He remains the No. 10 overall recruit and the No. 1 linebacker in Clemson program history.
He backed up that billing immediately. As a true freshman in 2024, Brown put up 80 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and three pass deflections while helping Clemson reach its first College Football Playoff since 2020. By the end of that season, he had collected ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, True Freshman All-American and First-team Freshman All-American honors.
Two seasons later, Brown has done nothing but strengthen the case that the hype was real. And with a bigger role waiting in 2026, Clemson’s defense is now his to shape.
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