2024 was quite the year for the Clemson football freshman class. From Bryant Wesco Jr.’s 708 receiving yards to Nolan Hauser’s 56-yard field goal to secure the ACC Championship title, the young Tigers made their talent known to all of college football.
With the 2024 college football season nearly in the books, the Football Writers Association of America has revealed their annual Freshman All-American team, which includes a few familiar names who donned orange and purple this season.
A national-best of four Tigers have been named on the list this year: Ashton Hampton, Bryant Wesco Jr., Nolan Hauser and Sammy Brown.
All four of these freshman athletes had strong starts to their collegiate careers, with some remarkable plays that made Clemson and its fanbase proud. In honor of their awards, let’s take a look at some of their biggest moments from the 2024 season.
Ashton Hampton’s one-handed interception against Virginia Tech
A young cornerback out of Tallahassee, Florida, Ashton Hampton was an integral piece of Clemson’s defense this year. One of his two interceptions came out of Blacksburg, Virginia, during the midseason matchup against Virginia Tech.
With the Hokies having possession in the third and the Tigers up by seven, Hampton kept up with the receiver in maroon as he took off down the field. In an effort to put a stop to a 35-yard pass, Hampton’s speed and field awareness kept his opponent off the ball. As it came down, Hampton was able to reach back and put his left hand on the ball, securing it with only one arm and generating a roar of excitement throughout the stadium by all the Clemson spectators.
Hampton capped the season with 20 solo tackles, seven assisted, as well as two interceptions and a pick six.
Bryant Wesco Jr.’s 55-yard receiving touchdown — with a spin move
Perfectly executed by the freshman in the matchup against The Citadel, Wesco made it to the end zone from a 55-yard ball delivery from his fellow Texan and quarterback Cade Klubnik. After dropping back into the pocket, Klubnik let one fly to Wesco, who had placed himself past the defensive backs and made the catch at the 9-yard line.
With a defender coming from his right and one from behind, Wesco executed a spin move to evade The Citadel athletes, leaving both behind as he hit a stride right into the end zone.
Wesco finished the 2024 season with 41 caught passes, 708 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Sammy Brown’s unstoppable game against NC State
One of the top recruits coming out of high school, Sammy Brown has continued to make an impression once he stepped onto Clemson territory, especially in his second game of the season against NC State.
Brown recorded six solo tackles and two assists, tallying up eight total in the game. At the beginning of the second quarter, his speed was on display when he slipped past the NC State left guard and immediately took down the wide receiver who had only just secured the ball. Beyond this play, he was a key piece to the Tigers’ 59-35 win over the Wolfpack.
His season totaled 48 solo tackles, 32 assisted, five sacks and three pass deflections.
Nolan Hauser’s 56-yard kick to claim the ACC Championship
Undoubtedly one of the most electrifying plays of the season, Clemson’s place-kicker Nolan Hauser held the fate of the ACC Championship title on his shoulders — or rather on his kicking leg — this past December in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In the fight against then-ranked No. 8 SMU, Clemson was faced with a 31-31 tie with 16 seconds left in the game. With the ball in possession, the Tigers were able to drive to the ball past the half but were unable to make it to the end zone. The choice was made to bring out the freshman with only three seconds remaining in the game, and it proved to be well worth it.
With the help of the defensive line keeping SMU’s hands away, Hauser delivered the kick straight into the field goal, tying off the game with a 34-31 lead and leaving Clemson’s team and fans alike as the 22nd ACC Championship in program history was secured in the history books.
Nolan not only had a stand-out performance in this particular game but also across the board this season. Hauser logged 18-for-24 on field goal attempts and 59-for-60 point-after-touchdowns in 12 games.
In addition to his place on the Freshman All-American team, he also took home the FWAA Freshman Special Teams Player of the Year award. It was a significant accomplishment for Hauser, who is now only the second Clemson player in history to receive Freshman Player of the Year honors from the FWAA, following Trevor Lawrence, who won the first-ever award in 2018.
The future is looking bright for these Clemson athletes and for the organization as a whole in the coming years. This freshman class had a remarkable season on the football field and is sure to continue turning heads as it grows under head coach Dabo Swinney into future years.
