Jason Priester All Clemson
2024 LB Sammy Brown Sees Little of Himself In Clemson DC Wes Goodwin
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Sammy Brown is a special kind of talent.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound blue-chip prospect out of Jefferson High (GA), has long been on the Tigers' radar, as he's been camping at Clemson for years, and his most recent visit to campus came over the weekend, for the Tigers' 35-12 win over Furman.
It was a notable visit, seeing as both of his parents are Furman alums, and while there was plenty to take in, the biggest thing that stood out to the talented linebacker was seeing how everyone in the Clemson locker room responded to the ordeal that is currently facing DT Bryan Bresee's family.
"The thing that I thought was the coolest is what they did for Bryan Bresee's little sister," Brown told All Clemson. "Everybody on the team wore the same shirt that said "E-11-A for his sister. I thought that was really cool. It kind of exemplifies the family that Clemson has and just the relationships that the players have with each other."
It was just another example, in a long list of many, of how strong the culture inside the Clemson program is, and how it really resonates with many potential prospects. It's that kind of culture that Brown is looking for in a school at the collegiate level.
"I think culture is one of the most important things when looking for a school," Brown said. "Just because I want to be in a good culture that's pretty similar to where I am in high school and in my family life and whatnot. I just want to be pretty similar to that. I think Clemson is very similar, they have probably one of the best cultures in college football."
Brown, who is arguably the top LB in the 2024 class, as well as one of the top talents overall, was at Ohio State last weekend for the Buckeyes' season-opening win over Notre Dame. While he has no future visits currently set in stone, he said he could see himself getting to games at Georgia, Tennessee and possibly Oklahoma at some point this season.
He also hopes to get back to Clemson for a night game, possibly NC State. For now, though, he is still working to build relationships, which includes developing a rather unique friendship with defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin. Both are avid outdoorsmen, something the two have started bonding over.
"Coach Goodwin is another really good guy," Brown said. "He's really stepped into that position and taking it with a huge honor and huge pride, I guess is the right word. He's done a great job and I think that he's got that defense coached up just about how he likes it."
"We've really got gotten to know each other a lot more. He's a big hunter and fisher too. So we were able to really bond on that a good bit. And so it's almost like a friendship. Me and him are really similar in personalities and all that so we can just we can talk really easily."
When asked if he saw a little of himself in Goodwin, Brown, who was the first 2024 player to pick up a Clemson offer, said yes. At least to a certain extent.
"Yeah, a little bit," Brown said. "He actually went hunting in Hawaii for axis deer on one of their breaks and sent me a picture of it. So that was really cool."
Don't expect a decision anytime soon from the blue-chip talent. Brown is content with taking his time, letting things play out, and being absolutely sure about any decision.
"I've kind of talked about doing like a Top 10 something after this high school season, and then like a Top 5 in the spring," Brown said. "Then take official visits over the summer and then commit."
However, there is always the chance that he goes on a visit and it becomes evident that school is the place he wants to be. While he doesn't expect that to happen, if it did, he'd have no trouble pulling the trigger and making that ultimate decision.
"There's always a possibility that I go to any school and just something clicks and I'm like, 'this is the place,' this is where I want to go and I can commit on the spot... But that's just a small possibility."
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