Where Does Sammy Brown Rank Among the Top Returning Linebackers?

Last week, PFF ranked the Top 10 returning linebackers in College Football, but where does Clemson's Sammy Brown land on that list?

Last week, Clemson LB Sammy Brown was recognized by PFF as one of the Top 10 returning linebackers in College Football. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As we draw closer to the 2026 College Football season, an increasing number of projections and lists have started to come out, including one involving a standout Clemson player.

On Thursday, Pro Football Focus' (PFF) Max Chadwick released his ranking of the Top 10 returning linebackers ahead of the 2026 season, with Clemson star Sammy Brown earning the No. 8 spot on the list.

The linebackers ahead of Brown include Texas Tech's Ben Roberts, Notre Dame's Drayk Bowen, Missouri's Nicholas Rodriguez, Georgia's Chris Cole, Texas Tech's Austin Romaine, Texas' Rasheem Biles and Notre Dame's Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. 

After entering Death Valley back in 2024 as one of the top recruits in the nation, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound hybrid backer became an immediate impact for the Tigers as a true freshman, totaling 80 tackles, 11.5 for a loss, five sacks and three pass deflections en route to earning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year.

As a full-time starter alongside now-Houston Texans linebacker Wade Woodaz last season, Brown became one of the best players on the defensive side of the ball, as he recorded 106 tackles, 13.5 for a loss, five sacks, five pass deflections, one forced fumble and one interception. 

By season's end, he finished tied for second in the conference in tackles and tied for eighth in tackles for loss, earning First Team All-Conference honors.

Heading into 2026, Brown will take on a much larger role, as the linebacker room is one of the program's most questionable position groups following the Luke Ferrelli saga during the transfer portal cycle, and with Woodaz now gone as well.

Regardless, Chadwick feels the junior has undeniable talent, and multiple media outlets have agreed with that take, earning a First-team Preseason All-American nod from the Walter Camp Football Foundation last month.

"Brown is currently projected as a top-40 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and it's easy to see why," Chadwick wrote. "At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, he is an elite athlete who reached a top speed of nearly 22 mph, according to player-tracking data. That speed helped him break up five passes in 2025, tied for the most among linebackers in the nation."

"While Brown moves at a blur, he also plays under control. His 6.1% missed tackle rate in 2025 ranked in the 91st percentile among linebackers."

As it stands, the projected starter looks to be fifth-year Kobe McCloud, who has logged just 346 defensive snaps and three starts across the past four years. However, the depth chart isn't set in stone, as fall camp starts August 6, and players like Jeremiah Alexander are still fighting for that starting spot.