Sammy Brown, Bryant Wesco honored on ESPN freshman All-American team

Sammy Brown put together a season that reflected his 5-star prospect status.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Friday, December 27 2024

ESPN honored two Clemson football freshmen for standout seasons.

Wide receiver Bryant Wesco and linebacker Sammy Brown both made the outlet's freshman All-American team.

Wesco flashed early in the season and played a key role in a conference title.

"Wesco was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2024 who ranked No. 28 in the ESPN 300. He became a downfield threat for Cade Klubnik, leading all Tigers receivers by averaging 17.3 yards per catch, and became the first Tigers receiver since Sammy Watkins to compile two 100-yard receiving games in the first four games of his collegiate career. Clemson leaned on the freshman heavily in their ACC championship game win, where he had eight catches, 143-yard performance to go along with two touchdowns," said Tom Luginbill.

Brown solidified a starting role by season's end.

"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," Luginbill said.