Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff have done a great job recruiting in the 2024 class, even if some don’t seem to believe it.
While the Tigers didn’t earn a top 5 ranking with this class, the talent is there, and this staff knows how to recruit. The people who were knocking Clemson for their 2023 recruiting class for not being strong enough probably feel pretty foolish now with the way that group played, and the same may end up being said for this 2024 class.
This class has top-tier talent, with 247Sports identifying two Tigers who could play right away for Clemson in 2024. One of which is offensive lineman Elyjah Thurmon.
Clemson doesn’t go shopping in the portal, which means that the Tigers play more true freshmen than the average contender, including along the offensive line. That’s a role Thurmon could earn, based on the way that he performed at the Polynesian Bowl, where he dominated all week and earned a fourth star.
Thurmon comes with tackle and guard flexibility and, given the Tigers’ struggles to find a consistent presence at guard this past year alongside Marcus Tate, it’s possible that Thurman pushes for a starting spot from the jump. At worst, he projects as someone who can help immediately in the two deep.
Clemson desperately needs help on the offensive line, and while they do return a lot of talent, Thurmon could step up and be an immediate impact player. The Tigers’ offensive line needs a bump, and Thurmon could possibly be that guy.
The next new Tiger mentioned was their top recruit, five-star linebacker Sammy Brown.
We’ve seen it time and time again at Clemson: True freshmen tend to get on the field quickly. That includes at the linebacker position, where those like Barrett Carter and Wade Woodaz have played extensively as first-year players. Woodaz and Carter are both ahead of Brown on the depth chart, but there’s an opportunity for snaps with Jeremiah Trotter Jr. off to the NFL.
Few recruits are more physically ready to play on the college level than Brown. A 6-foot-2, 230-pound freakshow of an athlete, Brown should step in right away and compete for playing time. He’s got excellent instincts and is as physical as they come. Expect him to, at worst, be an excellent special teams player in 2024.
True freshmen do get on the field quickly at Clemson, and Brown is one I’m expecting to see early. The vacancy at linebacker for Clemson is real with the departure of Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and Brown will look to be the guy who fills the Barrett Carter role as Carter moves into Trotter’s former role.
Don’t be surprised if both of these new Tigers end up being early impact players.