Antonio Williams and Tyler Brown are now two of the veterans of the Clemson receiver room. Both expect to have big seasons in 2024, but they are equally excited about helping the next generation of Tiger receivers blossom into their roles.
A unit that has suffered major attrition in recent seasons, Williams and Brown look to add stability. They are also impressed by the newest additions to the fold, freshmen Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore. Speaking to the media following Wednesday’s practice, both spoke highly of their new teammates and the excitement building around the Tigers’ offense.
“They’re ballers,” said Williams. “I feel like I have a really good eye for talent, especially at the receiver position, so I can tell when somebody is going to make an immediate impact, and I think (Wesco and Moore) have a chance to do that. From my point of view, they are definitely special.”
Antonio Williams
High praise from an established player. Brown echoed Williams’ sentiment. A second-year player, he spoke about teaching the freshmen some valuable lessons about playing big time college football.
“Learn. Learn man,” explained Brown. “Don’t take that playbook lightly. They’re going to touch the field for sure. Those boys right there, they came in I would say more mentally ready than I was. They’ve learned things faster. I like that about them.”
Tyler Brown
Antonio Williams and Tyler Brown are both South Carolina products. Williams, from Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, and Brown, from nearby Greenville High School, have shown flashes on the field for Clemson. Williams burst onto the scene as a freshman himself in 2022 before an injury-riddled season hampered his production last year.
Brown turned into one of the Tigers’ most dependable wideouts during his first season in 2023. Both understand what is takes to produce and make an impact early in a career. Wesco’s and Moore’s presence not only adds a needed punch at the receiver position, but the depth also brings out the best from each man in the room.
“I would say this is the most depth we’ve had,” Williams said. “That’s a good thing, not just for injuries but competitions. I can say for myself, last year I could get lazy because I thought nobody could take my spot. I still feel that way in my head, but just knowing there’s somebody behind me that they’re hungry too, I can’t slack around. That depth is good for our roles because it’s going to push us to take that next step.”
Antonio Williams
Brown adds that this year, the Tigers’ wide receiver room is being held to a higher standard. He understands that outside perception has been critical of Clemson’s receivers in the past several seasons, and they are out to change those opinions.
“Everyone’s on it, man,” he said. “You can feel Coach Swinney holding us to that higher standard. Us wide receivers, we’ve got big shoes to fill coming after guys like Sammy (Watkins), DeAndre Hopkins, those type of guys. We feel like we’ve got to prove that this year with the caliber of guys we’ve got.”
Tyler Brown
Clemson has not had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2020 when Amari Rodgers accomplished the milestone in his final collegiate season. For a program that has been used to putting up big numbers through the air, that is not seen as acceptable. Antonio Williams and Tyler Brown feel this year could be much different in terms of excitement and production.
If the veterans, and freshmen, have anything to say about it, the air raid could soon be alive and well once more in the foothills of South Carolina.
