Clemson’s 2024 spring game featured plenty of takeaways as the Orange team defeated the White team, 27-12, on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
With the obvious caveat that it’s only a spring game, Sammy Brown did nothing to live down the hype. The highly touted recruit, who was named the best linebacker in the nation and 12th-best player overall in the class of 2024, made the first standout play of the day on defense when he rushed off the edge and made what would have been a sack on Cade Klubnik.
Brown, playing for the White team, finished the day with eight total tackles, including his first-quarter sack of Klubnik. He tied with Wade Woodaz, who tied Brown with six solo tackles.
Sophomore Jamal Anderson also impressed for Clemson’s linebacking corps, which is looking for help after Jeremiah Trotter Jr. declared for the NFL Draft. Anderson, playing for the Orange team, made a pick six off a pass from Christopher Vizzina.
Anderson leapt in the air just a few feet in front of Vizzina for a 25-yard score that gave the Orange team a 14-3 lead late in the first quarter.
Later in the first half, Anderson picked off Vizzina again but the play was negated by an offsides penalty called against the orange team.
At halftime, with the Orange team leading 21-12, coach Dabo Swinney gave special recognition to Anderson’s play by saying that his interception return for a touchdown was the biggest play of the first half.
A.J. Hoffler (Orange team) was credited with the second sack of the afternoon, and the first for the white team. He and Jahiem Lawson, the younger brother of former Clemson standout Shaq Lawson, both looked very quick off the edge in Saturday’s game.
Up front, defensive tackle Stephiylan Green was impressed with six tackles. He was credited with four sacks in the stat sheet.
Cornerback Shelton Lewis (Orange team) had a terrific day in the secondary.
Noah Dixon (White team) had a nice break-up on a pass intended for Jackson Crosby when Trent Pearman threw a pass into the corner of the end zone with 3:07 to play.