For the second straight season, Clemson heads into the year with the No. 1 linebacker unit in the country.
Led by All-American linebacker Barrett Carter, the Tigers also added one of the top recruits to the unit in the 2024 recruiting class, 5-star freshman Sammy Brown. From top to bottom, this unit is stacked and has a ton of potential to lead a stout Clemson defense.
According to PFF, the Tigers have the best linebacker unit in the country, with these two talented players leading the way.
For the second straight year, Clemson has the best linebacker unit in the country. It starts with Barrett Carter, my No. 2 returning linebacker in college football. No returning Power Five linebacker since 2022 has been more valuable than Carter according to PFF’s wins above-average metric. He’s especially dominant on passing downs, as he’s the only one in that same group with 80-plus grades as both a pass-rusher and run-defender in that span.
Wade Woodaz is another returning starter who was third among ACC linebackers with a 49.7 passer rating allowed in 2023. Kobe McCloud is expected to take over the starting spot vacated by Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and earned a 75.4 PFF grade on 90 snaps last season. Finally, the Tigers also welcomed five-star true freshman Sammy Brown into the fold.
Watch out for this unit in 2024 as they lead the way for this defense.
Story originally appeared on Clemson Wire
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/clemson-no-1-linebacker-unit-161230699.html
Author : Clemson Wire
Publish date : 2024-06-13 16:12:30
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