See Which Clemson Tigers Made ESPN's Top 100 Player List

Head coach Dabo Swinney has a few players whom he will rely on from a production standpoint entering the 2025 season.

Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown (47) was placed as the highest-ranked Tiger ahead of the 2026 season. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Despite not being ranked in the AP Top 25 poll, the Clemson Tigers still have the quality to be mentioned on individual lists. 

ESPN revealed its top 100 players entering the 2026 season, and three Tigers made the shortlist. Two are from the defensive side of the ball, while one comes from the Clemson offense, and all return from the 2025 roster. 

Offensive tackle Brayden Jacobs was the first player mentioned from the program, being put at the No. 91 spot to begin the year. The sophomore got better as the season went on and received snaps on the left side of the offensive line down the stretch. 

The 6-foot-7 standout caught the eye of ESPN’s Andrea Adelson, who put him in this spot to be the first Tiger on the list. 

“Brayden has imposing size and impressive ability, with the potential to be one of the best offensive linemen to come out of Clemson under Dabo Swinney,” she said. 

Not to close in front of Jacobs is edge rusher Will Heldt, who found a spot at the No. 87 ranking. The senior led the Tigers in sacks and tackles for loss last season, coming from Purdue, and many expect him to get better in his fourth season in college football. 

If Clemson makes a push for a College Football Playoff spot, Adelson believes that Heldt will play a significant role in that run. 

“Heldt is the lone returning starter on Clemson's defensive front and will be expected to not only lead that unit but help the Tigers reestablish their line as among the most formidable in the country,” she said about the edge rusher. 

Of course, the player who had the highest spot who wears the Paw is junior linebacker Sammy Brown, who ESPN put at No. 39 in the country. After seeing limited time as a freshman, the First Team All-ACC standout is expected to continue his rise to stardom in the middle of the Clemson defense. 

“Brown racked up 106 tackles, the second most in the ACC, with 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, six QB hurries, five pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble,” ESPN writer Dave Hale wrote. “And for the year, he missed just seven tackles.”

Those three pieces will be the most important for Clemson, with perhaps some who were snubbed being able to get an extra chip on their shoulder. Regardless, the Tigers are going to look to push to prove the narrative wrong entering 2026.

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