Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown enters the season as a certified tone-setter, leveraging elite range and relentless physicality to anchor a reinforced Tigers defense aiming for ACC dominance.
The Clemson Tigers promise to be tough on defense after adding reinforcements via the transfer portal this offseason.
The Tigers needed to reset the defense after losing several starters to the 2026 NFL Draft, including first-round pick Peter Woods.
With the offense behind in talent and new offensive coordinator Chad Morris calling plays for the first time in six seasons, Clemson needs its defense to step up this season to keep them in games.
Linebacker Sammy Brown will enter the season as a leader on Clemson's defense. He recorded 106 tackles, 5 sacks, one interception, and one sack for the 7-6 Tigers last season.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports ranked Brown as the No. 25 most feared defender in college football for the upcoming season.
"Brown is more than a stat sheet-filling tackling machine -- he's a tone-setter for the Tigers," Crawford wrote. "He plays relentlessly downhill, and his sideline-to-sideline range perfectly fits Tom Allen's scheme.
"Brown erases space before offenses can develop rhythm, and his 106 total tackles last season ranked second in the ACC behind NC State's Caden Fordham, who went undrafted last month."
Clemson is looking for improvement this year, and Brown has been working on being a more intentional player during the offseason. He likes that the Tigers brought in extra players via the transfer portal for competition, hoping that makes the defense better.
"You know, I've been really impressed," Brown said, via tigernet.com. "I think the biggest thing that they brought in is competition. They brought in a lot of competition. It raises the bar for everybody else who was already there.
"You know, they say 'The iron sharpens iron.' I just feel like everybody is just building off each other. And I feel like that transfer class had a big piece to do with that."
Brown earned ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. He made first-team All-ACC honors for the 2025 campaign.
Clemson asked Brown to do a lot during the 2025 season. With extra enforcements, Brown should be able to make a better impact on defense, even if his tackling numbers aren't as high.