Tigers build positive momentum with nation's top linebacker Sammy Brown

Sammy Brown came away with another new perspective on Clemson after the Elite Retreat this weekend for juniors.

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Mon Jan 30 13:16:03 GMT-04:00 2023

Sammy Brown has been no stranger to the Clemson campus, but Dabo Swinney continues to build positive momentum with the nation’s top linebacker prospect.

Brown – the No. 1 rated linebacker for 2024 – has made several trips to Clemson over the last year, but he was still able to learn something new at Saturday’s Elite Retreat.

“It was just really fun. We were able to go on campus and get a feel for campus a little bit, go into the business building and tour the facility a little bit more,” Brown told TigerNet Sunday afternoon. “We were able to see the new add-on that they have for NIL and whatnot. It was a really good experience but also really cool to see some new stuff and learn more. The new CAB (Clemson Athletics Branding Institute) area is pretty cool. We took most of our recruiting pictures and all that stuff in there. I thought it was really cool and I think it's a great add-on.”

One of the highlights of the elite junior day is usually Swinney’s state of the program address, and it certainly stood out to Brown.

“I thought it was kind of cool. He talked about his upbringing and how he got to where he is today,” Brown said. “He also talked about his vision for Clemson, what he's going to do and what he has done. He talked about how Clemson develops players and how they've never had a No. 1 recruiting class but they're always top-five in draft picks. I think he builds his program around Christianity and that's something that I can really appreciate. He's just done a really great job at Clemson.”

After a day of tours and meet-and-greets, the day culminated in a friendly competition at Swinney’s house, where no one wanted to be the first to be knocked out.

“I did. I thought it was really cool to go over to his house and interact with the other recruits and with some of the coaches,” he said. “I think the best part was trying not to go out in the first round in 'Knockout.' I had a really good time and I thought all of the other recruits had a really good time as well. It was just overall a great experience.”

Brown holds 28 total offers from schools like Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio, State, and others, but Clemson’s culture makes the Tigers stand out.

“I really like Clemson. I think they have one of the best cultures in college football,” he said. “They've done a great job over the past couple of years. They signed a great class and I think they'll sign a great class next year and that's mainly because of Coach Swinney's vision for the program and what he's done with it over the past couple of years.”

The 6-2, 225-pound prospect has also visited Georgia recently but said he doesn’t have anything else on the docket right now.

“I don't really think we have a ton planned out right now with wrestling coming to an end and after that, I'll be getting into track. Right now, it's kind of free,” he said.