Dabo Swinney’s Tigers just keep turning heads, and the rest of the country is finally catching on: Clemson features some serious star power. Athlon Sports rolled out its 2026 preseason All-America teams, and two of our own earned well-deserved spots. Sammy Brown, the heart and soul of our defense, landed on the third-team defense, while Bryant Wesco Jr.—the electric playmaker every Tiger fan loves—earned a nod on the fourth-team offense. It’s just more proof that Clemson’s loaded for another big run.
Sammy Brown is back for his junior year, and make no mistake—he’s the engine that makes this Clemson defense roar. Last fall, the 6-2, 235-pound wrecking ball was everywhere, piling up a team-best 106 tackles, good for second in the entire ACC. Add in 13.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, and you’re looking at a guy who’s not just good—he’s elite, plain and simple.
Brown is one of only 14 defensive players nationwide to register at least 10 tackles for loss and five sacks in each of the last two seasons, an honorable distinction he shares with fellow Tiger edge rusher Will Heldt. Over 27 career games, the former high school Butkus Award winner has accumulated a staggering 194 total tackles and 10 sacks, proving to national evaluators that his diagnostic instincts and physical tools are completely legitimate.
Flip to the offense, and Bryant Wesco Jr. is making Tiger Nation proud with his All-America recognition. The Texas speedster was lighting it up last fall until a scary injury on a punt return against SMU cut his season short. Wesco took a brutal hit, got flipped head over heels, and had to be rushed to the hospital—a moment that caused every Clemson fan holding their breath.
Thankfully, the news out of the hospital was as good as he could hope for—no fractures, no long-term damage.
In just seven games, Wesco hauled in 31 catches for 537 yards and a team-best six touchdowns. He’s the first Tiger since Justyn Ross to notch 500-plus yards and five or more scores in both his freshman and sophomore years. Only three other players in Clemson history have ever topped 1,000 receiving yards in their first 15 games—Wesco’s name is right there with the greats.
Add us as a preferred source on Google