Dabo Swinney Sees This Clemson Wide Receiver Flashing Throughout the 2026 Season

While the Clemson Tigers have a handful of standout receivers to fill three spots, head coach Dabo Swinney spoke on the process of one who had a strong weigh-in this week.

Clemson wide receiver JuJu Preston (10) gets ready to catch a ball near wide receiver coach Tyler Grisham. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One of the most rewarding parts of being a head coach, especially at the college level, is monitoring the growth of a young player. Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney has seen it plenty. 

Earlier this week, Clemson held its annual big weigh-in day, and after seeing the progress of second-year receiver Juju Preston, Swinney is proud of where the wideout is headed. 

Speaking to the media on Thursday, the Tigers' head coach said that Preston celebrated with the team after weighing in, going from 155 pounds to about 173 pounds, according to Swinney. 

“He was so fired up,” he recalled. “I mean, he’s out there flexing, but he ain’t ready to win no Atlas magazine contest.”

While Swinney mistakenly brought up a different magazine than he intended, he added at the end that he’s not done with seeing Preston grow both physically and as a player. The intangibles that he brings into the fray make him a potential sleeper in the wide receiver room heading into 2026. 

“He ain’t ever going to be 190 [pounds]. He’s just not, but he’s a highly skilled kid, and he can really run and he’s explosive,” he said. “All of these natural attributes that he has will, and as he continues to develop physically, they’ll just get amplified.”

The Alexandria, Va., native didn’t see a lot of time with the Tigers last season due to a redshirt, but he did begin to shine during Clemson’s preparation for the Pinstripe Bowl back in December. He only has seven snaps and a four-yard reception to his name entering his second season. 

But Swinney believes that the way he carries himself, especially after his success during his weigh-in, will help drive him to grow more than he ever has. 

“He’s progressing,” he said. “He’s the most confident he’s been because he’s the biggest and the strongest that he’s been, but he’s still got a ways to go.”

Preston comes from Hayfield Secondary School with plenty of history before heading to Tigertown last year. He is the all-time leader in touchdown receptions for the state of Virginia with 67. The wideout even surpassed 3,500 yards over his time in high school. 

While he is behind the likes of Bryant Wesco Jr., T.J. Moore and a trio of standout freshmen, Swinney reassures that if Preston does his job throughout his process, he will make plays on Saturdays, too. 

“He’s just got to stay the course, and you know, he’ll probably flash somewhere this year, this and that,” he said, “but he’s just one of those guys that if he hangs in there, you’re going to look up three or four years from now and again, he’s like ‘Whoa.’”

While he might be a rotational option during Clemson’s season opener at LSU on Sept. 5, if there’s a receiver who could make a move down the stretch, which is something that frequently occurs in college football, Preston has the speed and hands to “be a stud”, according to Swinney. 

“I’m just proud of him because he’s so proud of himself because, I mean, he’s got a long way to go,” he said, “but from where he was to where he is, he’s progressing.”