The future of Clemson football is incredibly bright. Four Tigers have been named to the FWAA Freshman All-American Team: CB Ashton Hampton, WR Bryant Wesco Jr., PK Nolan Hauser and LB Sammy Brown.
From Tallahassee, Florida, Ashton Hampton enters 2025 credited with 27 tackles, five pass breakups and two interceptions — one of those he returned for a 53 yard touchdown — in 455 defensive snaps over 14 games (four starts).
Hampton made his college debut against No. 1 Georgia, recorded four tackles against Appalachian State, one tackle and a 53 yard pick-six vs. NC State, three tackles at Florida State, broke up a pass at Wake Forest, one tackle vs. Virginia, three tackles and an interception at Virginia Tech, a career high six tackles against Pittsburgh, one tackle vs. The Citadel, and three tackles vs. No. 16 South Carolina.
In the ACC Championship against No. 8 SMU, Hampton broke up a pass and made one tackle. In the College Football Playoffs against No. 3 Texas, Hampton recorded four tackles and a pass breakup.
Star wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. made a name for himself in the football world this season. From Midlothian, Texas, Wesco caught 41 passes for 708 yards and five touchdowns in 504 snaps over 12 games (11 starts).
Wesco’s team-high 17.3-yard average was the highest by a Clemson Tiger with at least 40 catches since Tee Higgins in 2019 (19.8). Wesco joined forces with fellow freshman T.J. Moore to make Clemson the first power conference team since at least 2000 to have multiple freshman record 650+ receiving yards and at least five touchdowns in a single season.
In his first career start in Clemson’s second game against Appalachian State, Wesco tied Artavis Scott, Justyn Ross and Cole Turner for the fewest career games needed to record a 100-yard receiving game in Clemson history.
In the ACC Championship against No. 8 SMU, Wesco recorded a career high in receptions (eight), receiving yards (143), and receiving touchdowns (two). His 143 receiving yards were the most by a freshman in ACC Championship Game history and tied for the second-most by a player of any classification in ACC Championship Game history.
Nolan Hauser, the hero of the ACC Championship, has already cemented himself in Clemson history with his record breaking 56-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to crown the Tigers the kings of the ACC.
Hauser, from Cornelius, North Carolina, is the national high school record-holder for career field goals. For Clemson, he converted 18-of-24 field goals attempts and 59-of-60 PATs in 14 games.
Hauser became the first player in Clemson history to record 100 points as a true freshman season. His 113-point season was tied for sixth in Clemson history in kicking points scored in a single season and tied for ninth in school history in points scored by any means in a single season.
His 56-yard field goal to win the ACC Championship was an ACC Championship Game record, and was the longest game-winning field goal as time expired in Clemson history as well as the longest field goal in postseason play in Clemson history.
Sammy Brown, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound powerhouse linebacker from Commerce, Georgia was a tackling machine in 2024. He enters 2025 credited with 80 tackles (11.5 for loss), five sacks and four pass breakups in 444 defensive snaps over 14 games (six starts).
Brown’s 87 tackles were the most by a Clemson freshman under Dabo Swinney, and the most by a Clemson freshman in any era since 1995.
In his first career start against Virginia Tech, Brown was credited by the coaches with a team-high nine tackles (2.5 for loss) and a sack, earning him both ACC Linebacker of the Week and ACC Rookie of the Week. Brown became the first Clemson defensive player to earn multiple ACC weekly honors in a single week.
Brown had a team-high 11 tackles vs. The Citadel, tied for the team lead (per coaching staff film review) with nine tackles vs. No. 16 South Carolina, a team-high 15 tackles vs. No. 8 SMU, and led Clemson in tackles at No. 3 Texas with 12.
Clemson’s four players named to the FWAA’s Freshman All-American Team was a national-best. The Tigers are just getting started.
