Chef David and Chef Sammy: Eziomume and Brown want to take Clemson back to mountaintop

Sammy Brown is looking to team up with a 2024 group that can be special.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Jun 30 07:00:19 GMT-04:00 2023

Clemson’s 2024 recruiting class has a chance to be special, and linebacker Sammy Brown wants to make sure that the Tigers not only have the best defense in the country but also that National Championships are in the future.

Adding the best players in the country is the best recipe for success, and Chef David Eziomume and Chef Brown are doing the cooking.

Brown is the nation’s top-rated linebacker recruit, and he wants to make sure that the 2024 class goes down in history.

Clemson received its 13th pledge for the 2024 recruiting cycle Tuesday afternoon when 4-star safety Ricardo Jones announced at his school. The Tigers also have commitments from five-stars in wide receiver Bryant Wesco of Midlothian, Texas and Brown, who is from Jefferson, Georgia, in contending for another Top 10 class.

Other four-star players committed to Clemson are tight end Christian Bentancur from Woodstock, Illinois; defensive end Hevin Brown-Shuler of of Atlanta; cornerback Tavoy Feagin of Tampa, Florida; safety Noah Dixon of Lagrange, Georgia; and defensive lineman Champ Thompson from Norcross, Georgia.

With so many key defensive players in the fold, including Peter Woods, Vic Burley, and TJ Parker from the 2023 class, Brown thinks the Tigers are headed for rare air.

“The biggest thing for me, and something that Coach (Dabo) Swinney told me, is that we have the possibility of having one of the best defenses in Clemson history,” Brown told TigerNet. “That is kind of my recruiting key right now is that we have a chance to do something special. With Mike Matthews and Eddrick Houston and KJ Bolden, we can have something special. A really good defense. The best offense is a good defense, and that’s what I’ve put out to them is just how special we can be.”

Brown said he couldn’t wait to play behind what will be a special defensive line.

“The thing I am most looking forward to is I can’t wait to play behind those big butts,” he said. “I know that I will not get touched. That is a big thing that I was excited about.”

Brown said he doesn’t want to overwhelm the undecided recruits but also wants to ensure they know that Clemson is the place to be.

“For sure, they have to make their own way, like I did,” Brown said. “Especially guys like Eddrick and Mike, who have had a long process like I’ve had. Just let them figure it out on their own. I was in their shoes, too, and I know how it is. Sometimes you don’t want to get bothered, but sometimes you need to get aggressive with them.

“We’ve got a text chat with all of the commits and we talk about how we can deal with all of the uncommitted guys. And I think we’ve got a good jump on all of them.”

Brown said Clemson has a lot of momentum heading into the middle of the summer.

“Overall, there are a lot of factors that are going in Clemson’s favor right now,” Brown said. “Garrett Riley is an unbelievable offensive coordinator and they’ve recruited some special receivers for Cade Klubnik to throw to. I think a lot of things are coming together for Clemson right now, and that is something I definitely want those other recruits to be a part of.”

Joining Brown is Eziomume, who responded to a tweet earlier this month saying that Chef Brown and Chef David have some things cooking.

“I think all of them are putting the work in,” Brown said. “But David, they are calling him Chef David right now. He has done a great job. The receivers are also putting in the work and everybody is out there recruiting.”

However, Brown is looking for more than just being a great defense. He wants to help take Clemson back to the mountaintop.

“Everybody has that idea that we can go back to where we were,” he said. “That is a fun experience and a fun process. I think it’s more fun to get back to that than to maintain it like Alabama or Georgia has. I think that’s one of the more fun things about Clemson is we are trying to get back to that. I am looking forward to it.”