CLEMSON, S.C— True freshman linebacker Sammy Brown has made significant strides during his time with Clemson football, according to head coach Dabo Swinney. Initially, Brown struggled to adjust to the collegiate level, but his hard work and dedication have begun to pay off.
"He's gotten better," Swinney said. "I didn't notice him this spring, honestly. I hardly ever noticed him. I didn't even know if he practiced most days, and that's because he had so much to learn. When you don't know what you're doing, or you're not confident in what you're doing, it's hard to really play fast and play physical."
Brown, who joined Clemson in January after playing both running back and linebacker in high school, faced a steep learning curve as he transitioned to college football. However, Swinney noted the benefits of Brown enrolling early, giving him time to adjust.
"You gotta understand, that's a kid that played every snap in high school, right? He played running back the whole game, he played linebacker. You can only do so much. So now you come in, and you start loading him up with a bunch of scheme, and it's a lot to learn," Swinney explained.
Despite the challenges, Brown has impressed his coaches with his progress over the spring, summer, and fall camp. Swinney highlighted a recent practice where Brown, along with other young linebackers, was given an extended opportunity to showcase his abilities.
"We actually held Barrett [Carter] and [Wade] Woodaz most of today," Swinney said. "We wanted to see Kobe [McCloud], we wanted to see Dee [Crayton], we wanted to see Sammy, we wanted to see Jamal [Anderson] in a really highly competitive [environment] where they've got to be the guys. And so that was good for them today, and good for our defense to be able to give them that opportunity."
Swinney is optimistic about Brown's future, praising his work ethic and physical abilities. While Brown still has room to grow, Swinney believes he is on the right track.
"Sammy's made a nice jump. He's not where he is going to be, but he's just wired the right way. He's a freaky dude when it comes to just who he is, ability-wise," Swinney said. "So it's a good situation for him, to be able to have two guys like he's got in front of him, to learn and to grow, and hopefully, we'll be able to continue that and bring him along."
Swinney also mentioned that Brown is expected to contribute on special teams and provide valuable depth at linebacker as the season progresses.
"We got to have good quality depth there, but we like the people we've got," Swinney added.