Clemson Linebacker Earns Preseason All-American Honors

With Wade Woodaz now gone, a certain Clemson LB is facing high expectations heading into 2026.

Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown has been named a Preseason All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As we now enter July, Clemson Football’s season is slowly approaching and bringing with it a wave of preseason honors, one of which has already gone to a defensive player.

On Tuesday, it was announced that linebacker Sammy Brown earned First-team Preseason All-American honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The rising junior is fresh off a First-team All-ACC campaign in 2025.

First-Team Preseason All-American 🔥 @sammybrown_ pic.twitter.com/zVRVsk7d5B

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) June 30, 2026

As mentioned, Brown is coming off a career year in 2025 that saw him take significant snaps at WILL alongside Wade Woodaz, who went on to be drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-2, 235-pound downhill backer finished the season with totals of 106 tackles, 13.5 for a loss, five sacks, five pass deflections, one forced fumble and one interception across 13 contests. He earned First-team All-ACC honors and a Third-team All-America selection by Phil Steele.

Heading into 2026, Brown is now ready to take over as the primary linebacker in Clemson’s defense with Woodaz now out the door, and it might be harder than usual. The reason for that is he’ll be the most experienced player in the position’s group by far, as Kobe McCloud — the projected starter — has spent the past four years as a backup while Jeremiah Alexander — who transferred in from Alabama last summer — has done the same.

Nevertheless, many fans and media expect him to take that next big jump and possibly even become a first round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

To understand why expectations are so high, it’s worth looking back at where it all started. As a true freshman in 2024, Brown arrived at Clemson as one of the most decorated recruits in program history.

Coming out of Jefferson High School in Georgia, Brown was rated a consensus five-star prospect and ranked as the No. 14 overall player in the 2023 class. To put into perspective just how huge a pickup it was, to this day, Brown ranks as the No. 10 overall recruit and the No. 1 linebacker in program history. 

Brown wasted no time proving that ranking right, as he recorded 80 tackles, 11.5 for a loss, five sacks and three pass deflections while helping Clemson to its first College Football Playoff appearance since 2020. Following season’s end, he earned ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, True Freshman All-American honors and First-team Freshman All-American honors.

Two years later, it’s clear Brown has lived up to every bit of the hype that followed him out of Jefferson, Georgia. Now, with a full season starting alongside Woodaz under his belt and a bigger role awaiting him in 2026, the only question left is just how high his ceiling really goes.