CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson junior linebacker Sammy Brown added another national accolade to his preseason collection on Tuesday, earning First Team selection to the 2026 CBS Sports Preseason All-America team.
Brown stood as the sole Clemson player featured on CBS Sports’ 54-player national roster, which encompasses talent across all four power conferences, two Group of Six programs, and Notre Dame.
The national recognition follows a wave of summer honors for the Georgia native. On Monday, Brown was named to the 50-player watch list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award. Earlier in the offseason, he secured spots on the Nagurski Trophy watch list, the preseason All-ACC team as selected by media members, ESPN’s First Team preseason All-America squad, Phil Steele’s preseason All-America team, and USA TODAY Sports’ preseason All-ACC team.
Pacing the Clemson Defense
Brown enters his third year in head coach Dabo Swinney’s program as the centerpiece of defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s front seven.
Last season, Brown served as Clemson’s leading tackler while starting all 13 games, accumulating 106 total tackles (51 solo), 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, five pass breakups, one interception, and a forced fumble.
Through his first two collegiate seasons, the former consensus five-star recruit out of Jefferson High School in Georgia has compiled 186 career tackles (99 solo), 25 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and eight pass breakups. 247Sports previously rated Brown as the nation’s No. 2 linebacker recruit in the class of 2024.
Season Opener and National Context
Brown’s individual honors arrive as Clemson navigates a mixed consensus in national preseason rankings. The Tigers landed at No. 23 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll while finishing unranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, receiving the most votes outside the top 25.
Clemson will kick off its 2026 campaign on Sept. 5 on the road against LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
