The country’s top-ranked linebacker in the 2024 recruiting class returned to Tiger Town last weekend.
After attending Clemson’s home opener against Furman on Sept. 10, Jefferson (Ga.) five-star Sammy Brown was back on campus for the Tigers’ 30-20 victory over NC State at Death Valley on Saturday night.
“Really enjoyed getting back for a night game and really being able to experience a game in Death Valley under the lights,” Brown told The Clemson Insider. “The fans (Saturday) night were unbelievable, more electric than any other time. They were super loud and passionate about the game.”
Brown, who received Clemson’s first class of 2024 offer back in March, made Saturday’s visit with his parents.
“They both enjoyed it very much and really liked catching up with all the staff and coaches,” he said. “There are a lot of connections there because my parents went to Furman when a lot of those coaches were there. Coach (Joey) Batson, the strength coach, was my dad’s coach at Furman.”
Speaking of the coaches, what did Brown hear from head man Dabo Swinney, defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin and other members of the Tigers’ staff on Saturday?
“Really a lot of the conversations with the coaches were just catching up,” he said. “Even with all the chaos going on it was good to catch up with them and just be able to talk about stuff other than recruiting.”
Brown gave his thoughts on Clemson’s 5-0 start to the season and what he saw Saturday from Goodwin’s defense, which recorded three sacks, two turnovers and held NC State to only 34 rushing yards on 21 carries.
“They have been playing lights out all year,” he said of the Tigers. “They’ve battled adversity in multiple different ways and have stepped up to the challenge.
“I thought the defense played very good against a solid NC State offense and proved their worth, especially considering the situation with the DBs.”
The Tigers are one of many prominent suitors for Brown, whose extensive list of more than two dozen offers also includes schools such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Tennessee, to name some.
When it comes to Clemson as a college option under consideration, the 6-foot-2, 227-pound junior said it’s “definitely” the culture that appeals to him the most.
“They’ve got one of the best cultures in college football and are definitely doing the right thing,” he said. “Coach Swinney has been solid on his way of doing things because it’s worked. They’re a very family driven program and relationships are very important. That’s something that me and my parents can appreciate.”
Brown is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 linebacker in the 2024 class by both 247Sports and the 247Sports Composite rankings. He is tabbed as the No. 5 overall prospect in the country for his class by 247Sports, while the 247Sports Composite considers him the No. 9 overall prospect nationally.
Brown traveled to Tennessee for its game vs. Florida on Sept. 24 and visited Ohio State for its Sept. 3 season opener against Notre Dame. He told TCI he thinks his next trip will be to Georgia, but he doesn’t have anything planned beyond that as of now.
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