Five-star Significant Freshman not Playing Much Lately at Clemson. Dabo Gives Significant Explanation

Five-star linebacker Sammy Brown was a standout recruit in Clemson football’s 2024 signing class and started his freshman season strong. However, his playing time has significantly decreased over the past two weeks, leading to questions about his role with the No. 10 Tigers. After logging a combined 75 snaps against App State and N.C. State, Brown only saw the field for 22 snaps in the last two games: 15 during a home victory against Stanford and just seven in Saturday’s road win over Florida State.

This marked his lowest snap count of the season, aside from his debut against then-No. 1 Georgia when he played only on special teams. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney addressed the situation on Tuesday, attributing the reduced usage to the excellent play of starting linebackers Barrett Carter and Wade Woodaz. “We’re not rushing to take Barrett and Woodaz off the field,” Swinney explained at his weekly press conference. “I know you all want that. Sammy will be just fine—he’s progressing healthy and will be ready when needed.

He’s doing a great job.” Carter, a senior and preseason All-ACC selection, along with junior Woodaz, have started all five games this season, as the Tigers typically employ two linebackers and a nickelback instead of three. Both veterans have excelled, with Woodaz leading the team with 40 total tackles and adding seven QB pressures, four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and an interception. Carter has contributed 32 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks, with both players recording consecutive games with at least 10 tackles.

Explaining Sammy Brown’s usage

Brown, who chose Clemson over Georgia last summer and is ranked as the team’s No. 10 all-time recruit by 247Sports, is close behind in contributions. Though he has played 97 snaps compared to Woodaz’s 266 and Carter’s 252, Brown ranks fourth on the team in total tackles with 23, leads with 5.5 tackles for loss, and has two sacks. The true freshman from Jefferson, Georgia, also topped Clemson in tackles for two consecutive weeks against App State (11 tackles on 38 snaps) and N.C. State (eight tackles on 37 snaps), although those were one-sided games.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney noted that Brown, who stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 235 pounds, had a significant role in the Stanford game, playing 15 snaps and excelling in short-yardage situations with a heavier defensive setup featuring Carter and Brown at linebacker, while Woodaz played as a “big nickel.” “He didn’t get as much action against Florida State,” Swinney remarked, mentioning that Brown had a significant mistake that led to a big play. “He needs to do his job and know what to do when we put him in.”

According to Clemson’s latest depth chart, Brown is a co-backup (with Dee Crayton) at both middle linebacker behind Woodaz and weakside linebacker behind Carter, with Crayton having only played special teams recently. Defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin stated that Brown performed well in specific packages against Stanford, particularly in short-yardage situations, recording four tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and a pass breakup. “It depends on the offensive personnel and the week-to-week practice prep,” Goodwin explained regarding the distribution of linebacker snaps, emphasizing Brown’s growing confidence in practice.