Tag: Bryant Wesco

Two Tigers named among college football’s 24 must-watch true freshmen for 2024

Clemson has two must watch freshmen heading into the 2024 season.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program did a phenomenal job recruiting in the 2024 class, headlined by two five-star recruits who look to make an immediate impact for the Tigers. 

Recently, 247Sports ranked the Top 24 freshmen who “must-watch” for the 2024 college football season, with these two Tigers making the cut. The first to appear is linebacker Sammy Brown, Clemson’s top recruit, landing at No. 24.

When multi-year starter Barrett Carter says you’re special, focus shifts to the freshman, who turned heads this spring with his knowledge of the game at the Mike position on Clemson’s defense.

The young linebacker received tremendous hype as he joined the program, and after Clemson’s Orange and White spring game, you can see why. Brown recorded a sack on his first snap in front of the Tigers fan base, later putting together a complete performance that’ll surely have Clemson fans even more excited about what he can do for the team in 2024.

Next was Clemson wide receiver Bryant Wesco, a player who has been tabbed as the next great Tigers wide receiver. Wesco ranked higher, landing at No. 11.

In need of big-play threats on the outside, the Tigers secured multiple pass-catchers in their 2024 class of the elite variety, including Bryant Wesco. He scored the first touchdown of the spring game last month and is already a crisp route runner. The only knock on Wesco throughout spring practice was his frame and being a bit undersized, but adding weight and muscle is the mindset this summer ahead of fall camp. He’s expected to anchor a starring role in the passing game. Clemson247 has more on Wesco’s expected impact along with another first-year wideout primed for success.

Wesco was an early enrollee with high expectations as a five-star recruit, and so far, he’s lived up to those expectations. Wesco recorded three catches for 26 yards and a ridiculous touchdown in the Tigers’ Orange and White spring game, looking like a threat on the outside.
Clemson has a bright future with these two.

247Sports names 3 Clemson football players as top-100 ‘Impact True Freshmen’

3 true freshmen are primed for big roles this season, according to 247 Sports.

Whether anyone likes it or not, Clemson and the transfer portal are like oil and water, or at least, the incoming transfer portal.

The Tigers still have a significant portion of the team leaving, with around ten players a year for the last four years venturing out to “greener pastures.” With over double that amount coming in as true freshmen, Clemson should hardly dip below the 85-player scholarship limit, but it does mean the team will be increasingly younger as time goes on.

Fortunately, the newcomers are some of the best in the country. As for this year, a few should significantly impact the team in their first season.

Chris Hummer of 247 Sports thinks the Tigers have three incoming freshmen with the potential to influence college football in 2024. With the recent struggles from the wide receiver room, Hummer picked Bryant Wesco and TJ Moore to have crucial roles this season.

Wesco’s spring game performance really stood out to Hummer.

The knock on Wesco upon his enrollment at Clemson was his frame. At 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Wesco definitely still needs to add weight this summer. But the dude can play. Wesco flashed on a number of springtime occasions for the Tigers, including scoring the first touchdown of their spring game. We know Clemson desperately needs exterior playmakers and Wesco is capable of providing some of that vertical pop.

Although Wesco played better this spring, Hummer thinks Moore will have the larger role in 2024.

Wesco showed up big this spring, but it might be Moore — a summer enrollee — who ends up with the larger role. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Florida native showed ready-to-play ability in January at the All-American Bowl, and there’s a belief around the Tiger program that Moore was one of the steals of the cycle (he was a moderately late-rising recruit who finished as a five-star). At least one of Wesco or Moore will end up emerging as a difference-maker.

Moore and Wesco have relatively easy paths to playing time. Hummer’s third and final player does not. Linebacker Sammy Brown has excellent size for a true freshman, and while he may not start, he could see the field a lot this fall.

Brown’s path to the field is a bit more congested than his two 2024 class counterparts. While the Tigers need help at receiver, they’re in good shape at linebacker with Barrett Carter and Wade Woodaz in the middle of the defense. Still, Brown is as physically ready as perhaps any freshman to step in Day 1. He’s a true testing freak and had an impressive public debut in Clemson’s spring game with eight tackles and a sack. He won’t start this year. But expect him to be heavily in the rotation for the Tigers and flash on occasion, much in the way Woodaz did a year ago.

CBS Sports identifies WR Bryant Wesco being a ‘spark plug for Clemson’s passing attack’ as a spring football overreaction

Is the Bryant Wesco hype an overreaction? We don’t believe so, but CBS Sports does.

The Clemson football program landed a huge name in their 2024 class at a position of need; five-star freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco. 

The hype around Wesco has been tremendous and for good reason. Wesco is talented and has a recruiting grade that makes you want to believe he’ll be a massive impact player for Clemson not only in the future, but this upcoming season as a freshman. It goes beyond just that, however, as he was a top performer in Clemson’s spring game. 

Over the last few seasons, the Clemson offense has had a lack of playmakers at wide receiver. There was a lot of talent in the wide receiver room, but for various reasons, the unit just hasn’t been able to put things together since the departure of Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Tee Higgins. With the Tigers’ struggles at the position, the hype around five-star wide receiver Bryant Wesco built dramatically as fans are desperate to see another star at wide receiver for the Tigers. In the spring game, Wesco lived up to the hype and looked like that star, scoring a beautiful 9-yard touchdown. 

Even with the impressive start to his Clemson career, CBS Sports Chip Patterson doesn’t see that impact being made during his freshman season. According to Patterson’s latest article on ACC overreactions from spring football, Clemson’s is that Wesco will be a spark plug for Clemson’s passing attack. 

Bryant Wesco will be a spark plug for Clemson’s passing attack: In 10 seasons of Clemson football from 2011-2020, the Tigers had a 1,000-yard receiver in all but two seasons (2015, 2017). It was a truly remarkable run that included future pros Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Williams and Tee Higgins among others. But in the last three years (2021-23), no Clemson receiver has finished with more than 604 yards in a season and none from those teams have been selected in the NFL Draft. The tide seems to be turning, however, and one reason to believe that was the spring performance of early enrollee freshman Bryant Wesco. The blue-chip projections for Wesco are already playing out on the field as both coaches and teammates have been offering offering positive reviews all spring, and he even showed out with a diving over-the-shoulder touchdown grab in the spring game. Wesco specifically might not be the top candidate to be a 1,000-yard receiver for Clemson in 2024 — Antonio Williams, Tyler Brown, Troy Stellato have an experience edge for playing time — but his tools and talent are reminiscent of the days when Clemson had future NFL Draft picks at the position rolling in year-after-year.

I get what Patterson is saying here. There are other mouths to feed in this Clemson offense, and there’s a strong chance that Wesco won’t be that 1,000-yard guy right away… but does that mean Wesco can’t be a spark plug for the Tigers’ offense? Absolutely not. 

The more talent you have on your offense, the better. We’ve seen glimpses of what Wesco is capable of, and I was impressed. You don’t need to be a team’s number-one guy to make a difference. 

Antonio Williams? Excellent. Tyler Brown? Excellent. Are either a true alpha wide receive No. 1? No. That’s not a knock on them; they simply don’t fit that mold. Do you know who does fit that mold? Bryant Wesco. 

Wesco’s skill set will be game-changing for this Clemson offense, which leads me to disagree with Patterson’s take. 

Dabo Swinney continues praise for freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco

Bryant Wesco has been impressing his head coach.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers need a star at wide receiver and they may have gotten just that in freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco.

Wesco was an early enrollee with high expectations as a five-star recruit, and so far, he’s lived up to those expectations. Wesco recorded three catches for 26 yards and a ridiculous touchdown in the Tigers’ Orange and White spring game, looking like a threat on the outside. He’s been so promising that Swinney has taken notice of what Wesco has been doing and what he has shown him as a player.

“You get these guys in here as freshmen, you never really know exactly where they are till you start coaching them and some guys, you come in and  you see the talent right away but maybe the maturity and even the commitment is not quite where it needs to be,” Swinney said. “He’s a kid, from day one, the commitment is above the talent and it just drives everything. He’s very conscientiousness, he can take things from the meeting rooms to the practice field.

“He’s already put on about eight or nine pounds and he’s still going to be a developing guy between now and August. He just took right to it and he had a lot of opportunity…man, he took advantage of it and really showed that he’s a guy that can play and he’s definitely going to be a guy that can help us.”

Clemson has talent at wide receiver with guys such as Antonio Williams and Tyler Brown, but neither fit the mold of a true alpha wide receiver. That’s where Wesco can fit right in.

If Wesco can have an immediate impact for this offense, the Tigers’ wide receiver room is going to be a lot stronger than many expect.

Where Clemson ranks in every updated 2024 team recruiting rankings

Here is how Clemson currently fares across all major recruiting platforms.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program but many programs across took advantage of the early signing period, which allows teams to lock in their talented recruits to join their program.

The Tigers have had a successful early signing day, landing two offensive linemen in Elyjah Thurmon and Mason Wade while also securing the signings of other commits who have been waiting a long time for this moment. In the ever-changing world of college football, getting players signed and prepared to join the team has become much more important. 

With signing day over, we’ve seen Clemson climb team recruiting rankings as they added more members to their 2024 recruiting class and signed some of the top players around the country. Below is a look at where the Tigers stand in each of the four top recruiting outlets: 247Sports, ESPN, On3, and Rivals.

Updated 4/16

Observations from Clemson’s offense in 2024 spring game

Here are some observations on the offense from Clemson’s 2024 spring game.

Clemson’s 2024 spring game is officially in the books. The Orange team defeated the White team, 27-12, in Saturday’s game at Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers had plenty of highlights on both offense and defense. Let’s look at the offense.

Wesco shows off

Bryant Wesco looked every bit the part of a five-star recruit in Saturday’s spring game. Wesco, ranked the sixth-best receiver in the nation by 247Sports for the class of 2024, made three catches for 26 yards.

Wesco, playing for the Orange team, caught a short pass over the middle and picked up 15 yards for a first down on his first catch of the afternoon.

Two plays later, Wesco did one even better by hauling in an over-the-shoulder, 9-yard touchdown grab from quarterback Trent Pearman. Wesco made the catch in tight coverage on a fade route for the Orange team’s first score of the game and a 7-3 lead with 1:31 to play in the first quarter.

Quarterback play

Speaking of Pearman, he was his own storyline in Saturday’s spring game. The sophomore from nearby D.W. Daniel High School in Clemson finished the afternoon an impressive 10-for-13 with 113 yards and a touchdown through the air.

Pearman engineered the scoring drive that ended with Wesco’s touchdown catch by capping a five-play, 57-yard drive.

One of the most impressive plays of the day was when Pearman took off for a 49-yard touchdown run on a read-option play with 3:45 to play in the first half.

Later in the game, Pearman made a nice throw intended for receiver Jackson Crosby in the corner of the end zone. It took a terrific defensive play from cornerback Noah Dixon to break up the pass with 3:07 to play.

Cade Klubnik got off to a poor start but rebounded for a decent showing at Saturday’s game. Klubnik finished his day 13-of-26 for 158 yards.

He was intercepted by cornerback Tavoy Feagin in the first quarter when receiver Adam Randall ran the wrong route. Feagin returned the interception 45 yards to set up the game’s first score, a 29-yard Nolan Hauser field goal for the White team.

Klubnik was fortunate to only throw the one pick. He uncorked a pass into double coverage later in the first quarter, but a dropped interception bailed Klubnik out on the ill-advised throw.

There were some highlights for Klubnik, though. He converted on a 3rd-and-12 midway through the second quarter when he found Antonio Williams on a short route to his right. That led to an impressive 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took 7:10 off the clock and put Klubnik’s team ahead 21-6 with 5:42 left in the first half.

On Klubnik’s next drive, tight end Olsen Patt-Henry dropped what would have been a first down for the Orange team.

Later on in the game, Randall hauled in a perfect 55-yard strike from Klubnik on the final play of the third quarter.

Christopher Vizzina, who started at quarterback for the White team, was a pedestrian 14-of-25 for 108 yards and two touchdowns. His biggest mistake early on came when Jamal Anderson intercepted an attempted screen pass and returned it 25 yards for a pick six.

Later in the first half, Vizzina was picked off again by Anderson, but the play was negated by an offsides penalty.

Vizzina’s second official interception came with time winding down in the third quarter. On that play, Vizzina made a throw to the wrong side of a wheel route that led to an interception from Jahiem Lawson at the Orange team’s 2-yard line.

It wasn’t just Wesco who stood out at receiver

Clemson had a few standout performances from its receivers in Saturday’s scrimmage. Josh Sapp had three catches for 60 yards. The sophomore from Greenville made a sensational play when he leapt well into the air to haul in a 39-yard pass from Vizzina over two defenders in the third quarter.

Randall had 85 receiving yards through the air on four catches, including his 55-yard grab to end the third quarter. Randall also made a terrific catch as part of the first-quarter scoring drive that ended with Wesco’s touchdown.

Williams, sidelined for much of last season due to injuries, made a nice return to the field in the spring game. He caught five of seven targets for 62 yards, including a 19-yard reception.

Watch freshman Bryant Wesco make a ridiculous touchdown grab in Clemson’s 2024 spring game

Clemson freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco is legit.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program need playmakers at wide receiver and freshman Bryant Wesco looks to be that playmaker. 

The Tigers 2024 Orange and White spring game is currently going on, with veteran talent looking to show their improvement and freshmen looking to show Clemson fans what they’re capable of. Wesco has done exactly that in just one-quarter of football, making an absurd touchdown grab in the back of the end zone. 

Clemson quarterback Trent Pearman dropped back to pass in the red zone and delivered a beautiful ball to Wesco. The young wide receiver made a perfect play on the ball, resulting in a 9-yard touchdown. Check out the touchdown below.

It’s Game Day: Orange vs. White Rosters for 2024 Clemson Tigers Spring Game

Clemson Tigers Football: Here’s a look at all the players who will appear at 2024 Orange vs. White spring game Saturday at Memorial Stadium Saturday.

Game day for Clemson’s 2024 spring game is officially here.

The Tigers’ annual Orange vs. White game will begin at 1 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra and ESPN+.

In what will be the 16th spring game under coach Dabo Swinney, the Tigers will have no shortage of intrigue and interest surrounding the players who will take the field at Memorial Stadium.

Cade Klubnik returns for his second season as starter, and the Tigers feature one of the nation’s best linebackers in Barrett Carter.

There’s also incoming freshmen that fans will get their first looks at, including five-star recruits like wide receiver Bryant Wesco and linebacker Sammy Brown.

Offensive coordinator Garrett Riley will serve as head coach of the orange team in Saturday’s scrimmage. Defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin will serve as head coach of the white team.

Swinney had a special message for fans in his final meeting with the media ahead of Saturday’s game.

“Man, I really hope they’ll show up and we’ll have a great crowd,” Swinney said. “It’s free, it is a very meaningful opportunity for us as a program, and our fans always show up. For a lot of these midyears (players), this is a big moment because the next time they actually play, the scoreboard’s going to be lit up.

“So this is a great opportunity to try to hopefully create that game feeling for some of these guys. And then we’ve got some guys that are getting a lot more opportunity as your team changes every year and you start over.”

With that, here’s a look at the rosters for Saturday’s spring game.

Orange Team

Coaches: Garrett Riley (head coach), Tyler Grisham, Mickey Conn, Chris Rumph, Matt Luke

Quarterbacks: Cade Klubnik, Trent Pearman, Colby Shaw

Running backs: Phil Mafah, Jarvis Green, Peyton Streko, Tristen Rigby, Kevin McNeal

Wide receivers: Bryant Wesco, Antonio Williams, Charlie Johnson, Adam Randall, Jackson Crosby, Joseph Flesch, Clay Swinney, Blackmon Huckabee, Jr.

Tight ends: Jake Briningstool, Olsen Patt-Henry, Banks Pope

Offensive linemen: Tristan Leigh, Marcus Tate, Will Boggs, Harris Sewell, Ryan Linthicum, Bryce Smith, Collin Sadler, Blake Miller, Nathan Brooks, Watson Miller, Sam Judy

Defensive ends: A.J. Hoffler, Zaire Patterson, Jahiem Lawson, Armon Mason

Defensive tackles: Payton Page, Jaheim Scott, Stephiylan Green, Champ Thompson, Peyton Pitts

Linebackers: Barrett Carter, Dee Crayton, Reed Morrissey, Jamal Anderson, Fletcher Cothran, Philippe Kabasele

Cornerbacks: Corian Gipson, Shelton Lewis, Myles Oliver, Branden Strozie

Safeties: Kylon Griffin, Bubba McAtee, Tyler Venables, Joe Wilkinson, Caleb Nix, Peter Nearn, Walt Smith, Sherrod Covil Jr.

Special teams: Robert Gunn III (K), Quinn Castner (K), Jack Smith (P), Holden Caspersen (LS)

White Team

Coaches: Wed Goodwin (head coach), Mike Reed, Kyle Richardson, C.J. Spiller, Nick Eason

Quarterbacks: Christopher Vizzina, Trent Pearman

Running backs: Keith Adams Jr., David Eziomume, Wise Segars Jr.

Wide receivers: Misun Kelley, Hampton Earle, Ronan Hanafin, Tristan Martinez, Zach Jackson, Jack Purkerson, Chase Byrd, Clay Swinney

Tight ends: Josh Sapp, Marcus Dixon

Offensive linemen: Ian Reed, Mason Johnstone, Elyjah Thurmon, Dietrick Pennington, Harris Sewell, Jake Norris, Trent Howard, Zack Owens, Jackson Hall, Chapman Pendergrass, Mason Wade, Dominic Cordone

Defensive ends: T.J. Parker, Cade Denhoff, Levi Mathews, Adam Kissayi

Defensive tackles: Caden Story, Tre Williams, DeMonte Capehart, Patrick Swygert

Linebackers: Wade Woodaz, Sammy Brown, Chandler McMaster, Kobe McCloud, Griffin Batt

Cornerbacks: Austin Randall, Tavoy Feagin, Avieon Terrell, Michael Mankaka

Safeties: Khalil Barnes, R.J. Mickens, Jacob Hendricks, Kylen Webb, Noah Dixon, Boston Miller, Robert Billings

Special teams: Nolan Hauser (PK), Hogan Morton (PK), Aidan Swanson (P), Will McCune (P) Philip Florenzo (LS)

All eyes on Bryant Wesco at Clemson spring game

Freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco, a five-star recruit from Texas, is generating some of the most buzz this spring.

Saturday will mark the 16th spring game of the Dabo Swinney era at Clemson, and as with every game before it, fans will have a lot to keep their eyes on.

Generating some of the most buzz this spring is highly touted freshman receiver Bryant Wesco, a five-star recruit from Midlothian, Texas. Wesco was ranked the No. 6 receiver in the nation in 247 Sports’ composite rankings for the class of 2024.

He has drawn no shortage of praise from teammates and coaches alike. Swinney has praised the 6’2, 170-pound athlete for his poise and maturity.

“Poise and maturity are rare for a young kid. He’s obviously very talented,” Swinney said of Wesco earlier this spring. “You see a lot of kids that are talented, but they don’t have the mindset or the maturity to go with it. He does. That’s encouraging because all the rest of this stuff, he’ll get better at.”

After Wesco fumbled a ball during one practice, Swinney quipped that he’d had to relish a rare opportunity to yell at the potential star. “Then he comes right back, makes a couple of great plays,” Swinney noted.

Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley praised Wesco for his ability to quickly adapt to his environment after enrolling at the school in January.

“Bryant’s done a nice job,” Riley told The Clemson Insider last week. “Anytime as a freshman, the whole thing is just: can you handle mentally? And then just the grind, the speed of the game, the transitioning at his position at receiver.

“He’s been able to mentally handle things, and I think he’s a guy that’s transitioned really well with the speed of the game. The moment’s not too big for him. He just feels like that type of player to me. I’m very pleased with his start.”

Wesco will be paired with starting quarterback Cade Klubnik and fellow receivers Adam Randall and Antonio Williams (among others), as well as tight end Jake Briningstool on the Orange team at Saturday’s spring game.

Wesco’s development is especially important for a Clemson program that has struggled to develop receivers since the team’s run of six straight College Football Playoff appearances. The Tigers haven’t had a player finish with 1,000 receiving yards in a season since Amari Rodgers in 2020.

That’s a long drought for a school that prided itself on being “Wide Receiver U” after such stars as DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins, Tee Higgins, Mike Williams, Justyn Ross, and Hunter Renfrow — all Swinney players.

The Tigers are hoping that Wesco will join that set of decorated players.

“He’ll get bigger, he’ll get stronger, he’ll work at it. He’ll learn some other positions. All that stuff will come in the bigger picture of things, but he’s just a poised kid that’s tough and likes to play, likes to be coached. He’s just got the maturity to match the talent,” Swinney said.

Saturday’s Orange vs. White game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. EDT from Memorial Stadium. The game will be broadcast/streamed on ACC Network Extra and ESPN+.

Clemson’s Bryant Wesco on list of players turning heads in spring practice

Clemson Tigers Football: The hype continues to build for freshman receiver Bryant Wesco.

The hype continues to build for Clemson’s Bryant Wesco.

The 6’2″, 170-pound receiver, a five-star recruit out of Midlothian (Texas) High School, chose Clemson over LSU, Tennessee, USC and others in 2023.

247Sports ranked Wesco as the sixth-best receiver nationally in the class of 2024, as well as the fifth-best player from the Lone Star State.

Noting that Wesco chose to play with another Texas native in quarterback Cade Klubnik when he committed to Clemson, B/R Sports listed Wesco on its list of 10 college football players that were turning heads in spring practice.

Per B/R’s story:

“Simply put: The Tigers haven’t had many talented weapons at wideout like him in the past couple of seasons, so he could team with Antonio Williams to give them a major threat on the outside who can stretch the field and make huge plays downfield.

“Transforming the offense to one that instills fear in folks is why Riley was brought onboard, and coach Dabo Swinney certainly won’t outfit his roster with portal talent, so incoming youngsters like Wesco have to.”

Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley recently told The Clemson Insider that he likes what he’s seen from Wesco so far in spring camp.

“Bryant’s done a nice job,” Riley told TCI. “Anytime as a freshman, the whole thing is just, can you handle mentally? And then just the grind, the speed of the game, transitioning at his position at receiver and once you transition to the college speed. He’s been able to mentally handle things, and I think he’s a guy that’s transitioned really well with the speed of the game.”

Wesco caught 109 passes for 1,903 yards and 29 touchdowns during his prep career.