Sammy Brown continues to add to a growing list of national recognition heading into his junior season at Clemson.
ESPN placed the Tigers linebacker on its first-team All-America squad on Thursday, another major preseason honor for a player who has quickly developed into one of the centerpieces of Clemson’s defense.
Brown is coming off a sophomore season in which he led Clemson with 107 tackles while starting all 13 games. He also finished with 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, seven pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery across a team-high 734 defensive snaps.
Those numbers helped Brown earn first-team All-ACC honors and a spot on Phil Steele’s third-team All-America squad.
ESPN pointed to Brown’s production and his importance to the Tigers’ defense when explaining why he made the first team.
“Put simply, Brown was one of the most productive linebackers in college football a year ago. Operating alongside veteran captain Wade Woodaz, Brown accounted for a team-high 106 total tackles (13.5 for loss) with five sacks and 18 run stops, which tied for 10th among FBS linebackers last fall. A first-team All-ACC pick in 2025, the junior defender checks all the boxes. He returns as the face of coordinator Tom Allen’s defense in a critical season at Clemson.”
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Brown’s rise didn’t begin last season, either.
He earned Freshman All-America recognition in 2024 despite starting only six of Clemson’s 14 games. Brown recorded 87 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and four pass breakups while playing just 444 defensive snaps.
Through two seasons, Brown has already shown an ability to make plays all over the field, and his role has only continued to grow. With another full season ahead of him, ESPN’s selection adds to the expectations surrounding a linebacker who has a chance to become one of the most favorite players on Clemson’s defense in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: ESPN names Clemson’s star linebacker a preseason first team All-American