Clemson defenders are sharing high praise for new linebacker Sammy Brown.
The Clemson football program landed one of the top recruits in the 2024 class, 5-star linebacker Sammy Brown.
The Tigers needed help at linebacker with the departure of Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and they got exactly that with Brown. There has been some serious hype around the young linebacker, and for good reason, he has all the tools to be one of the best linebackers in the country.
Clemson star linebacker Barrett Carter recently discussed what he’s seen from Brown so far, sharing praise for what Brown is capable of.
“That kid’s special, to say the least. He’s gifted. What I like about Sammy is that he’s very aware that football is such a mental game… he’s been hungry to learn and eager to learn, and he’s put in so much extra time besides what we have mandatory. Just trying to learn the place, he’ll come to me, ask me questions… he’s going to be special, but I’m really impressed with how smart he is,” Carter said.
Carter isn’t the only one who’s been impressed with Brown. Starting linebacker Wade Woodaz had excellent things to say about the freshman, particularly about his work in the weight room.
“He’s a machine in the weight room and on the field. Just steady Eddy, never phases,” Woodaz said. “Makes us all better just by pushing us because this guy is 18 years old coming in here and he’s stronger than most of us.”
Fans should be excited about Brown as he could be the Tigers’ next great linebacker.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney shared high praise for linebacker Wade Woodaz.
Meeting with the media Wednesday, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had nothing but great things to say about sophomore linebacker Wade Woodaz.
During the meeting with the media, Swinney was asked how he feels Woodaz has done this season. Swinney is clearly happy with what he’s seen from the linebacker, stating he is a ‘baller’ who loves to play the game.
“Baller. Baller. He’s a heck of a football player, man,” Swinney said. “He’s what you look for. I mean, he loves it – loves to play, loves to practice. Got a lot of football character. Tough as they come. Multi-position guy. Great leader. Great teammate.”
Over 10 games this season, Woodaz has totaled 25 tackles (5.0 for loss) and an impressive four sacks. The sophomore linebacker has also added two interceptions, one of which was a 35-yard pick-six against Charleston Southern.
“I mean, he’s had an awesome sophomore year and a guy that’s got a lot of value,” Swinney said. “He’s scored, he’s made a bunch of plays. So, he’s a pretty good true sophomore.”
Woodaz has been impressive this season, and a strong end to this season will have Tigers’ fans excited to see what he’s capable of next season.
This hasn’t been the season Clemson or any outsiders envisioned. While not everyone was anticipating another national championship, it’s doubtful anyone expected that by this point, the Tigers wouldn’t even been receiving votes in polls. A bowl isn’t out of the realm of possibility, but if November is a very bad month for the Tigers, it’s probable they’ll be watching bowl season at home. Talk about dropping off.
All of that said, there still is some talent on this Tigers team, especially on defense. If anything, these players are remnants of a time in the recent past when the Tigers were feared. Many might have picked Notre Dame to lose Saturday’s game at the start of the season, but that no longer is a certainty. This is why you play the games though: You never know what can happen.
Here are the Tigers most likely to have an impact when they face the Irish:
Clemson’s linebacker unit has received tremendous praise this offseason.
Something you’ve likely heard throughout this offseason is Clemson’s talent in their linebacker unit, and they have once again been recognized as a group heading into the 2023 college football season.
The latest to do so was Athlon Sports, who ranked Clemson with the No.1 linebacker unit in the country for 2023. Here is what writer Steven Lassan had to say about Clemson’s linebacker unit.
Trenton Simpson is off to the NFL, but the Tigers still return the best one-two pairing at linebacker with Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (89 tackles) and Barrett Carter (73) returning for ’23. Sophomore Wade Woodaz tallied 20 tackles as a freshman last year and should solidify the third spot in Clemson’s starting group for ’23.
The group is headlined by Trotter and Carter, two preseason All-Americans who are both possible first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. We know exactly what to expect out of these two-star linebackers; the piece that will keep it all together is sophomore Wade Woodaz.
Stepping into a new role, we are expecting a big breakout from Woodaz as he plays next to two elite linebackers. While eyes are on Trotter and Carter, Woodaz will have a plethora of opportunities to make plays.
Clemson is dealing with an injury at an already-depeleted position group.
Clemson already had a depleted linebacker room entering fall camp, and now the Tigers are dealing with an injury to one of their star players at the position.
Junior linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has a hamstring injury, prompting him to miss Wednesday’s scrimmage, head coach Dabo Swinney said.
Although Trotter is missing some time, Swinney said the team is just being cautious.
“He’s good, he’s rolling. If we played today, he would be playing,” Swinney said.
Trotter, an All-America linebacker last season, had an impressive sophomore campaign in 2022, finishing with 89 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble. But with just six linebackers in the rotation, his injury adds even more uncertainty at the position.
The Tigers’ linebacker room took a significant hit in July when Clemson dismissed TJ Dudley from the team for breaking team rules. Dudley, a former four-star recruit, was poised to compete for substantial playing time and possibly even a starting spot.
Besides Trotter and Carter, Wade Woodaz is the only linebacker on Clemson’s roster with significant game experience, and he only has one start.
Linebacker Barrett Carter and several of the “high-snap” players, like Tyler Davis and Xavier Thomas, were also held out of the scrimmage, Swinney added. He said that Trotter and Carter’s absence allowed some of the younger and more inexperienced players to make a mark for themselves in the scrimmage.
Clemson’s linebacker unit is the best in the country and will headline the Tigers’ defense in 2023.
Heading into the 2023 college football season, there is no linebacker unit in the country that is more talented than the Clemson Tigers’ linebackers.
Led by two 2024 NFL Draft first-round hopefuls, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter, the Tigers linebackers are as dangerous as they come. Earlier in the year, Pro Football Focus ranked the duo as the No.1 (Trotter) and No.5 (Carter) linebackers in the country for the 2023 season.
Recently, PFF released their linebacker unit rankings for 2023, and with Trotter and Carter leading the way, Clemson ranked No.1. Here is what writer Max Chadwick had to say about the Tigers’ nation-leading linebacker unit.
With two of the top five linebackers in the country, Clemson is the easy choice to top this list.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is the best linebacker in college football, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering his bloodlines. His father, Jeremiah Trotter Sr., was a former All-Pro linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles. The younger Trotter was the only Power Five linebacker this past season to earn 80.0-plus grades both in coverage and as a pass rusher. He’s the No. 2 linebacker in the 2024 NFL Draft, according to PFF lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema.
The only prospect above him is Barrett Carter, his teammate. Carter was one of only three Power Five linebackers in 2022 who earned 75.0-plus grades as a run defender, as a pass rusher and in coverage. He recorded seven combined interceptions and forced incompletions last season, tied for the most among linebackers.
Likely starting alongside them is Wade Woodaz, who earned a 74.9 grade on 180 snaps as a true freshman safety in 2022.
Wade Woodaz is expected to take the next step in 2023, making this units ceiling incredibly high. Trotter and Carter both should be All-Americans next season as they lead the Clemson defense.
Are things once again fluid at the second level of Clemson’s defense? It’s an intriguing question considering how seamless the changes within the linebacking corps went Saturday in Trenton Simpson’s absence. Clemson’s leading tackler was held out of …
Are things once again fluid at the second level of Clemson’s defense?
It’s an intriguing question considering how seamless the changes within the linebacking corps went Saturday in Trenton Simpson’s absence. Clemson’s leading tackler was held out of the Tigers’ win over Louisville with an ankle injury, forcing Barrett Carter to move from his Sam/nickel spot to Simpson’s usual Will position.
All Carter did in his first career start at that inside ‘backer position was tally eight tackles, two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and an interception, becoming the first player in a game between Power Five teams to record such a stat line since 2011.
Swinney said after the game he was hopeful Simpson would be back for this week’s game against Miami after being “close” last week. The junior linebacker made the switch to Will this offseason after spending his first two seasons with the Tigers at Sam, which is more of an hybrid edge position than a weak-side ‘backer spot that’s played primarily in the box.
Might Clemson consider moving Simpson back to his old position whenever he does return given how well Carter performed on the weak side? Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was non-committal in answering that question Sunday.
“I think that’s what we do as coaches is always evaluate,” Swinney said.
Swinney said during the offseason part of the reason for moving Simpson following Baylon Spector’s departure was thinking about Simpson’s NFL future, which could arrive as early as next year. Carter is just a true sophomore, but Swinney said he sees the former five-star recruit on the inside long-term.
For the time being, though, Swinney acknowledged the speed and athleticism possessed by both gives the Tigers a level of flexibility at the defense’s second level they haven’t had in a while. And they’re not the only ones part of that equation.
True freshman Wade Woodaz, who’s been on the two-deep for much of the season, has been productive with the snaps he’s logged, including those he got against Louisville while helping fill in for Carter at Sam. Woodaz had three tackles, a sack and forced a fumble in Clemson’s 31-16 win, giving the defense another versatile piece with which to work.
“Not just this year either. I’d say for the next few years,” Swinney said. “Woodaz, he’s a baller. He’s more like Barrett than (former Clemson linebacker) Isaiah (Simmons, and what I mean by that is. Isaiah, he wasn’t a great player when he got here. He had a lot to learn whereas Barrett and Woodaz, they were ready the day they got here. They were like veterans from the time they showed up. They really understand things at a very high level.
“He’s one of those guys like Barrett that can play a lot of positions. He can play anywhere. He could really go play safety for us and be excellent, and that’s why we played him this year. He was absolutely ready to play. … Going to be a really good player for us.”
As for how things will play out at those two linebacker positions the rest of this season, that remains to be seen with the options Clemson has. Swinney said it’s a good problem to have.
“(Simpson) has had nine games playing inside, and he’s had two years playing on the edge and doing some multiple things,” Swinney said. “So we’ve got a little bit more flexibility within our personnel that we necessarily didn’t have going into that game. I think that’s a blessing.”
Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
Linebacker Wade Woodaz filled in for starting linebacker Trenton Simpson against Louisville on Saturday, as Simpson was sidelined with an undisclosed injury. The freshman was up for a big test filling the shoes of a dynamic player like Simpson, but …
Linebacker Wade Woodaz filled in for starting linebacker Trenton Simpson against Louisville on Saturday, as Simpson was sidelined with an undisclosed injury. The freshman was up for a big test filling the shoes of a dynamic player like Simpson, but he played with a physicality that threatened the Cardinals’ offense all night.
Woodaz had not started in a game this season, but that didn’t stop him from coming out with his best performance against Louisville. The linebacker came into this game with seven total tackles, three of which were solo tackles.
The freshman did not play with any hesitation throughout the game, but it was in the third quarter where he began to be quite the difference maker for the Clemson defense. Whether it was pressuring the Louisville quarterback or assisting tackles, Woodaz look experienced in his ability to use his speed and attacking mentality on the field.
In the late stages of the third quarter, Woodaz already had three total tackles, one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
The sack for the freshman came when there was 10:32 left in the third quarter. Woodaz broke away to pummel Louisville quarterback Brock Domann for a loss of 10 yards on the play and a forced fumble. Although the fumble was recovered by Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan, the loss of 10 yards put the Louisville offense at a deficit.
The freshman looked intent on what he had to do out on the field and this was a major contributing factor to the defensive success for the Tigers against the Cardinals.
With such little experience playing this many reps in a game, Woodaz’s physicality and speed really showed his potential and the depth of the Clemson linebacker corps.
Clemson has made a big impression on this talented linebacker prospect, whose older brother is a freshman on the Tigers’ football team. Jesuit High School (Tampa, Fla.) junior Drew Woodaz – a 6-foot-3, 190-pound recruit in the class of 2024 – has …
Clemson has made a big impression on this talented linebacker prospect, whose older brother is a freshman on the Tigers’ football team.
Jesuit High School (Tampa, Fla.) junior Drew Woodaz – a 6-foot-3, 190-pound recruit in the class of 2024 – has been blown away by his experiences in Tiger Town.
Drew is the younger brother of Clemson freshman linebacker Wade Woodaz, and Drew has made multiple unofficial recruiting visits to Death Valley this season. He also attended the Orange & White spring game back in April before competing at the Dabo Swinney Camp in June.
“It gets better every single time I go there,” Drew said in a recent interview with The Clemson Insider. “I mean, it’s an unreal place. It’s special. Having my brother there, it’s nice to always have someone on the inside, telling me how he feels about it, and I haven’t heard him say a single bad thing.”
Added Drew of his brother’s experience at Clemson thus far: “He loves it. I call him at least once a week and I just ask him, I’m like, ‘How is it?’ He hasn’t said a single bad thing once.”
2024 LB Drew Woodaz (left) and Clemson LB Wade Woodaz during pregame of the Tigers’ spring game Saturday, April 9, 2022 at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider
When Drew participated in the Swinney Camp this summer, he drew positive feedback about his camp performance from Clemson defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Wes Goodwin.
Drew called it “a great honor” to get a good camp review from a high-level coach like Goodwin.
“He always tells me, keep working,” Drew said. “When I went to the camp up there this summer, he said that I performed very well.”
As for what stands out most to Drew about Swinney’s program, it’s the culture that Clemson’s head coach has created and how his players are “All In.”
“The way Dabo runs things is perfect,” Drew said. “Everyone buys in. Last year, no one opted out for the bowl game unless they were injured, which shows you a lot about the program. That’s special, and I think that’s what really draws me to the program.”
Drew has collected double-digit Division I FBS offers, including ones from Power Five programs in Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Kansas, Missouri and Vanderbilt.
If Drew were to receive an offer from Clemson in the future, the chance to follow in his brother’s footsteps as a Tiger – and carve out his own legacy at the same time – would be “surreal” for him.
“I think it would be crazy, because it’s been a dream since I was a kid, and it would be surreal,” he said. “It would be fun to follow in my brother’s footsteps, but to create my own path and become my own person and just be myself and really show people what type of player I am.”
Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
True freshman linebacker Wade Woodaz, made his name known in his first game as a Clemson Tiger. This past Monday in his collegiate debut against Georgia Tech. Woodaz blocked a punt making it the first time Clemson has produced two blocked punts in a …
True freshman linebacker Wade Woodaz, made his name known in his first game as a Clemson Tiger.
This past Monday in his collegiate debut against Georgia Tech. Woodaz blocked a punt making it the first time Clemson has produced two blocked punts in a single game since 2007.
Woodaz spoke with reporters Wednesday explaining what it felt like to make an impact this early in the season and his college career.
“It felt like out of my body, it felt like a dream,” said Woodaz “I was thinking, I’m going to block this thing, I am going to give it everything I’ve got, and I got through the first layer, and the upback wasn’t there, and I was like hmm.. there’s the punter, and then I laid out and made the play.”
Woodaz’s humor and entertaining manner made the play seem much more simple than it is. However, before fall camp, Woodaz explained how he was concerned about his physical and mental abilities. He did not think that he was where he needed to be to play at this caliber and he attributes his boost of confidence to the older guys on the defense.
“The guys in front of me, like our linebacker room is loaded… They have helped me progress so much just like mentally…I came in not very confident in myself (physically), I didn’t think I was ready, but they helped me get there mentally, and then I knew what I was doing. I realized by just making plays that I am there physically.”
Coming in at 6-foot-3, 215-pounds it is easy to see the parallels that Woodaz has to that of former Tiger, Isaiah Simmons. Simmons was drafted as the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
“Definitely body type wise, we’re both tall and long,” Woodaz said with a chuckle.
“Coach Swinney mentioned how I was similar to Isaiah Simmons, and Isaiah came in and redshirted so I was thinking I was going to do a similar thing, but I got the mental aspect down and I was just able to make plays off of knowing what to do.”
With a quick turnaround heading into the first home game this Saturday against Furman, Woodaz is eager to get his chance to play in Death Valley.
“I am definitely excited to go and play in front of our fans because we’ve got the best fans in the nation and my family are going to be there as well, so I’m excited for it,” he said.
Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
