Tag: Will Brown

Richard Childress Racing signs new driver for NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma

Richard Childress Racing has signed a new driver for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Who will drive the team’s third entry?

[autotag]Richard Childress Racing[/autotag] has utilized its third NASCAR Cup Series car more often since the start of the 2023 NASCAR season and it continued at Texas Motor Speedway. Austin Hill drove the No. 33 Cup car before going to the garage for steering issues. Now, Richard Childress Racing has picked up a new driver for the No. 33 car in 2024.

According to V8 Sleuth’s Stefan Bartholomaeus, Supercars Championship driver Will Brown is scheduled to drive the No. 33 car in the Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Brown currently leads the Supercars Championship point standings with a 71-point cushion and has three wins. The 25-year-old driver replaced Shane van Gisbergen at Red Bull.

Brodie Kostecki is another Supercars Championship driver who drove for Richard Childres Racing in 2023, competing at the Indianapolis  Road Course. However, it appears that Kostecki won’t be behind the wheel of a car in NASCAR this season. Brown now has a major opportunity in good equipment at Sonoma in June.

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Taking inventory: Special teams

Clemson ended its season less than a week ago, but it’s never too early to look ahead. The Clemson Insider is taking some time to analyze how the Tigers performed at each position this season and where the Tigers stand with each entering the …

Clemson ended its season less than a week ago, but it’s never too early to look ahead.

The Clemson Insider is taking some time to analyze how the Tigers performed at each position this season and where the Tigers stand with each entering the offseason. Quarterback, running back, tight end, receiver, center, guard, offensive tackle, defensive tackle, defensive end, linebacker, cornerback and safety have already been assessed.

Last up are the specialists.

A quick note first: This is where things currently stand with Clemson’s personnel on special teams. With the one-time transfer rule and recruiting still in full effect, things are always subject to change. This story will be updated as needed to reflect any future modifications at the position.

2021 in review

Clemson began the season with arguably the top kicker-punter tandem in the ACC in B.T. Potter and Will Spiers. The season ended with the duo being able to make the same argument.

Despite that hiccup against Florida State when he uncharacteristically missed three field goals, Potter still had what is statistically the best season he’s enjoyed in a Clemson uniform so far. The senior connected on 81% of his field goals (21 of 26) and made 13 straight at one point. He drilled a season-long 51-yarder – 2 yards short of a career-best – in the Cheez-It Bowl win over Iowa State.

Spiers, who recently announced on social media that this was his last season at Clemson, finished strong, too. He averaged better than 40 yards on his 65 punts, having 27 of them pinned inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. That’s the most he’s ever had pinned that deep in his five years at Clemson.

Spiers also executed a fake punt for a first down against Syracuse, completing a 17-yard pass to tight end Davis Allen that kept alive what eventually turned into a touchdown drive. Clemson also dialed up a fake field goal against Connecticut, and holder Will Swinney found paydirt on a 6-yard run for the first touchdown of a blowout victory.

Clemson wasn’t flashy in the return game, particularly once its primary punt returner, freshman receiver Will Taylor, went down with a season-ending knee injury five games in. Senior Will Brown stepped in and averaged roughly 3 yards per return with his longest going for 17 yards, though Brown avoided costly turnovers in that department.

Will Shipley and Kobe Pace each averaged more than 20 yards on kick returns and will be back next season. Potter is also returning for a sixth season, giving Clemson’s special teams a major lift heading into next season. Others like long snapper Jack Maddox still have some decisions to make.

Who’s leaving?

Spiers, Brown (maybe), Maddox (maybe), Swinney

Who’s staying?

Aiden Swanson, Potter, Shipley, Pace, Brown (maybe), Maddox (maybe)

Who’s joining?

Swanson, a junior, could be Spiers’ successor, but Clemson has signed some competition at that spot in Saraland (Alabama) High punter Jack Smith.. The Tigers have also added a kicker in the 2022 recruiting cycle in Florida native Robert Gunn.

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Taking inventory: Receiver

Clemson still has a bowl game left to play this season, but it’s never too early to look ahead. With the regular season in the books, TCI is taking some time to analyze how the Tigers performed at each position this fall and where the Tigers stand …

Clemson still has a bowl game left to play this season, but it’s never too early to look ahead.

With the regular season in the books, TCI is taking some time to analyze how the Tigers performed at each position this fall and where the Tigers stand with each as the offseason quickly approaches. Quarterback, running back and tight end have already been assessed.

Next up is receiver.

A quick note first: This is where things currently stand with Clemson’s personnel at receiver. With the one-time transfer rule and recruiting still in full effect, things are always subject to change. This story will be updated as needed to reflect any future modifications at the position.

2021 in review

Between D.J. Uiagalelei’s inconsistency, some drops and a wave of injuries, it was a season that was weaker than usual for the Tigers’ passing game and their receivers.

The year started on a high note for the group with Justyn Ross, Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson Jr. — arguably Clemson’s top three wideouts — at full strength. Or at least close to it. Ross returned from the spinal fusion surgery that cost him all of last season while Ngata and Ladson dealt with nagging injuries that limited them a season ago.

But it didn’t last.

Ladson, who has since entered the transfer portal, sustained a season-ending groin injury in the first half of the season, leaving Ross and Ngata to carry the unit. While it wasn’t as productive as he’s used to, Ross had a solid return to the field given the circumstances. He still leads the Tigers in receptions and receiving yards and is tied for the team lead with three touchdown catches despite missing the last two games and change with a fractured foot.

Ngata has been Clemson’s most consistent big-play threat in what’s proven to be his best season in a Tiger uniform so far. Ngata has 438 receiving yards – second only to Ross – on just 23 catches, a team-best average of 19 yards per reception. But the injury bug has again taken a bite out of Ngata, who missed the last three games of the regular season with a foot injury.

Ross won’t play in the bowl game, so his Clemson career is over. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was more optimistic about Ngata’s chances of returning to play against Iowa State in the Cheez-It Bowl, though it’s not a guarantee. Ngata is out of the protective boot he wore late in the regular season.

E.J. Williams, who’s missed four games this season with numerous injuries, is back practicing, Swinney said. But all of the injuries at the position have forced Beaux Collins and Dacari Collins into more game reps than expected this season, and the true freshmen have taken advantage of them.

Beaux, who could also play in the slot but has gotten most of his reps on the outside, is second on the team with 28 catches. He’s posted two 100-yard games in the last four, including a career-high 137-yard day against Wake Forest. Dacari has eight of his 10 catches in the last three games.

Will Taylor is another freshman that showed promise before sustaining a season-ending knee injury five games in. He’s a prime slot candidate next season and also returned punts, duties that another receiver, Will Brown, took over after Taylor’s injury. Fellow freshman Troy Stellato, who’s been dealing with a bruised heel, is in line for a redshirt even if he plays in the bowl game.

Meanwhile, Brannon Spector missed all of this season because of injuries and COVID-19 complications but still has eligibility left. The mix of old and new will be tasked with replacing Clemson’s share of attrition at the position, and there are currently no shortage of options.

Who’s leaving?

Ross, Ladson, Ajou Ajou (transfer), Will Swinney 

Who’s staying?

Ngata, Williams, Beaux Collins, Dacari Collins, Taylor, Stellato, Spector

Who’s joining?

Clemson inked two in-state receivers in its 2022 recruiting class during the early signing period. The headliner is Myrtle Beach High standout Adam Randall, a consensus four-star prospect ranked as the nation’s No. 119 prospect in the 247Sports Composite.

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Long-awaited opportunity ‘really sweet’ for Clemson senior receiver

Will Brown, Clemson’s senior receiver turned punt returner, grew up a die-hard Clemson fan and is now seeing an increase in his playing time. To him, “it means a whole lot,” Brown said. “I’m having a lot of fun, too. Just trying to enjoy this last …

Will Brown, Clemson’s senior receiver turned punt returner, grew up a die-hard Clemson fan and is now seeing an increase in his playing time. To him, “it means a whole lot,” Brown said. “I’m having a lot of fun, too. Just trying to enjoy this last year knowing I’ll be hanging it up in a couple months after we finish this season. I’m just trying to have fun with it and enjoy it as much as I can.” 

When asked about his decision of choosing to come to Clemson as a preferred walk-on or being able to go play somewhere else, Brown was confident in his answer and path to Clemson.

“It was an easy decision honestly,” he said. “This was the only place I really wanted to be. I was either going to come here and be a student or I was going to come here to play ball. Coach (Dabo) Swinney gave me an opportunity to be a part of the team, so it was a no-doubter for me.” 

With being a walk-on at Clemson, Brown says that there are “definitely standards.”

“Coach Swinney always expects above and beyond from a walk-on because obviously we don’t come in on scholarship,” he continued. “Obviously the goal is to one day hopefully be put on scholarship and earn an opportunity to play or do whatever. If you’re going to be a walk-on at Clemson, you can’t be a guy that’s going to be cutting corners, missing classes, missing tutors, missing study hall, not showing up for workouts. You’ve got to be a guy that’s a grinder. Just a blue-collar put your nose down and just grind, and if you want to be successful as a walk-on, then that’s what it takes. Coach Swinney and coach (Tony) Elliot and all the coaches that were walk-ons, that’s what they expect because they’ve been through it themselves.”

On Brown’s long-awaited playing time moment: “There are a lot of times in the waiting process that it gets easy to have a lot of doubt and wanting to fold and just give in to the pressure of outside noise and people who don’t understand what it’s like to be on the inside. You’re playing and competing with the best guys in the country every day.

“Different people just don’t really understand the level of competition you’re going up against, so they’re asking you why you’re not playing. A lot of times it just gets tough having to explain yourself and explain yourself and just try to tell people it’s just different. To finally be getting an opportunity, it’s really sweet.”

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Grading Clemson’s special teams through the first half of the season

Clemson won’t officially hit the halfway point on its 12-game regular season until after its game at Syracuse next week, but it’s close enough. With an open date to take a step back and evaluate where the Tigers are as a team, TCI is handing out …

Clemson won’t officially hit the halfway point on its 12-game regular season until after its game at Syracuse next week, but it’s close enough. With an open date to take a step back and evaluate where the Tigers are as a team, TCI is handing out midterm grades for Clemson’s performance so far in all facets.

Let’s hand out some grades for special teams through five games:

Kicking game

B.T. Potter and Will Spiers began the season as one of the nation’s top kicking duos and haven’t disappointed. Potter had not gotten a lot of opportunities before last week when he finished a perfect 4 of 4 on field goals. He’s 5 of 6 on the season with his only miss being a 58-yard attempt at the end of the first half against South Carolina State that would’ve been a career-long.

Spiers is averaging more than 40 yards per punt with more than half of them (11 of 21) being fair caught. Grade: A

Kick returns

The Tigers have beens solid when they’ve had opportunities to return kickoffs, averaging 20.5 yards on six returns. Grade: B+

Punt returns

The only real negative on special teams so far has been the loss of freshman Will Taylor, who had given the Tigers a spark as a punt returner before sustaining a season-ending knee injury last week. With Justyn Ross (concussion) also out for most of the game against Boston College, Clemson had to use reserve receiver Will Brown in that role. But Swinney is optimistic Ross will be back against Syracuse. Grade: A-

Overall

Clemson’s special-teams unit has performed like an experienced group should. There’s nothing to indicate the Tigers won’t have one of the stronger groups in the ACC throughout the season. Grade: A

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