Intro welcome back to another episode of rock boys football the five most important true freshman to this Clemson program heading into 2024 at least in my opinion one of the most exciting conversations to have around this Clemson team where it seems like every single year and Clemson has these true freshmen that really become differen makers during the college football season I think D was Sweeney this Personnel staff they do a great job of identifying some of these freshmen that have the opport unity and the ability to come in and play early and be impact players for this Clemson team you go back to 2023 guys like TJ Parker and Peter woods and Aven Terell and Tyler Brown they all emerged as you know legitimately some of the best players on that Clemson roster in 2023 I think you look at the 2024 season and say hey we got some freshman that wouldn't surprise you to be some of the most important members to this Clemson team in the 2024 season want to get into my five most important true freshman Most Important Freshman we're going to work from 5 to one now before we get into it as always one to the Clemson fans a lot of different names that you could go to I'll give some honorable mentions at the end but whether you agree with the takes whether you disagree I would love to hear some names that excite you the most heading into 2024 for this true freshman class and of course if you all do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel the amount of support that the Clemson fans have shown over the last couple of weeks is it's it's truly been amazing we appreciate you guys and without further Ado let's get into this one I want to start with you know a cat that we talked about a ton when he committed to Clemson a little over 12 months ago and that safety Ricardo Jones I loved Ricardo Jones coming out of high school at 63 190 pounds he was this ball Hawking safety that you know always seemed to be in the right place at the right time his sophomore and junior year combined had over 13 interceptions you combine the length in the range that Ricardo Jones has this is a Premier Ball Hawking safety and I think why Ricardo Jones has the opportunity to play early for Clemson and be one of those guys that has a massive impact it's kind of two different reasons one I think he's ready from both a physical standpoint and between the years one of the things we talked about with Ricardo Jones is this kid's instincts were kind of off the chart he understands the game of football at such a high level that's normally what keeps a lot of these true freshmen off the field is just not knowing what they're doing enough I don't think you have that problem with Ricardo Jones you look at the physicality standpoint it say 63 195 it feel pretty good about the physicality as well and I think why he has the opportunity to play Early is I don't premere ball Hawking safety I mean RJ mickens has played a lot of football you have a guy like Tyler venables and some other veterans on this roster I think Ricardo Jones could offer you know that true Difference Maker ball Hawking safety that can create turnovers for this Clemson defense in the 2024 year so you combine the uh I think he's ready to do it and I think he has the opportunity in terms of how this Clemson dep chart shakes out had a really good fall camp and sign me up for Ricardo Jones looking up and saying this kid's coming up with some game changing plays for this Clemson team early in the 2024 season going to number four we have to Christian Bennter go with the tight end Christian benter out the opportunity for Christian benter to play might be a little bit more tough to come by because you're playing behind one of the better tight ends in the ACC in Jay bring stool every single morning when I sat down to read the Clemson fall cam notes DAV Sween would talk about Christian benter he he even quoted him as the most talented tight end that Clemson as signed since Dad was been there there's been a lot of good cut tight ends that have come through this Clemson program what fascinates me the most about Christian benter there a lot of different ways that you can utilize this kid you go back to the high school film and say massive massive catch radius but he moves like a wide receiver I mean you talk about definition of matchup nightmare right linebackers won't stand a chance at covering Christian bent corrup seems you look at defensive backs and say name me a defensive back that has the size and physicality to deal with a 65 245 pound frame I think this kid is going to get on the football field I think the big question that we don't necessarily know the answer to Is you know how well can you physically hold up in the Run blocking Department that's normally what keeps a true freshman off the field we don't have that answer yet but the amount of the amount of hype I guess you'd say that Davos Sweeney is throwing Christian venter's way you just kind of get the feeling that they're gonna figure out a way to use him in the offense I think the sign of any good coaching staff is hey if we have a really good football player figure out how to get him on the football field that sounds like the situation that you have with Christian benter and we've been saying all right Clemson needs these difference m these pass catchers to step up in 2024 Christian benter could provide some of that juice for this Clemson program going to number three and another guy that I just think is such a good football player and you got to figure out a way to use him but it might be hard for him to get on the field consistently is linebacker Sammy Brown you are playing behind at least in my mind one of the better linebacker Duos that we'll see in the country with Barry Carter and wde woodz that being said Samy Brown he probably plays on most other programs across the country significantly now for Clemson I think the question is all right we have Wade we have Barry Carter two really good linebackers there probably not GNA come off the field that much how can we get Samy Brown on the field and let him just have an impact on the football game kind of going back to the conversation we had with Christian benter I think you're looking at both of these kids and saying hey really really good football players they might be behind some really good football players that have a little bit more experience we don't want to keep good football players off the field and I think what makes Sammy Brown so easy to get involved is there's a lot of different things that this kid can do we called him Captain America coming out of high school for a reason he is physically one of the more gifted linebackers we've seen come out of the high school ranks he can do a lot of different things you go back to the high school film and say he's Elite dropping back in coverage he can rush the passer off the edge that's probably where I see Samy brown maybe getting some burn in some of those Blitz packages where hey we're gonna tell Samy Brown hey go on the football field pin your ears back and go get after the quarterback we saw that a little bit in the spring game again do I think Sammy Brown if waiting Barry Carter stay healthy for all 12 plus games he's probably not gonna start for Clemson on defense but this kid's gonna have an impact and you talk about special teams I don't know if there's a better football player created to have an impact on special teams than Sammy Brown and so this is a kid that's going to play a lot for Clemson have an impact on this team going to the top two and I think it's pretty obvious it's the wide receivers let's talk about TJ Moore first who I have at number two just because you know Brian Wesco has been within this program since January you look at TJ Moore and say this is the exact wide receiver that Clemson has been looking for we kind of said this all off season talk about two of the most important wide receivers and players to this Clemson offense it might be TJ Moore and Brian Wesco who are going to be the wide receivers that can really press teams vertically down the field t TJ Moore that was what he did at high school this was a kid that averaged almost over 25 yards per catch at the high school Rings he's fast he's massive and at the catch point he's dominant there's not many quarterbacks that can go up with TJ Moore from a physical standpoint and go up and make plays know we were looking for that kind of wide receiver that made safeties respect what they could do vertically it could be Adam Randall it certainly could be Brian Wesco but excuse me it very could be TJ Moore as well and we talked about how important you know Quinton Johnston was to coach Riley's offense at TCU I think TJ Moore is I wouldn't say carbon copy of Quinton Johnson but they have a very very similar game if TJ Moore can just be that presence and not only create big plays for Clemson down the field but also make safeties have to respect what he can do kind of opening up some of that middle of the field for guys like Antonio Williams or Jake bring stool or Tyler Brown that's going to be potentially the biggest asset that TJ Moore brings to the table and then number one Brian Wesco I'm going with Brian Wesco for a couple of different reasons I lean TJ Moore as a pure High School Prospect from what you're hearing about Brian Wesco coming out of spring and fall this kid is putting it together now you go back 12 months ago I would have been a little skeptical of Brian Wesco being a year one contributor because he was not a very big kid he was 62 165 probably soaking wet coming out of high school he put on 20 pounds in the offseason for Clemson I think he can deal with the physicality that the ACC will demand a Brian Wesco and then you take a look at the skill set he has I mean Juiced up 62 long he's got a long frame he's not necessarily built like TJ Moore TJ Moore is a little bit more put together but Brian Wes's long and he can go up and make plays he obviously an extremely accomplished track and field athlete in the long jump the high jump the triple jump so he's a bouncy athlete that has a big frame that can go up and make plays but he also has legitimate burners I mean he's a guy that the size speed combination that he brings to the table can give a lot of cornerbacks a lot of different problems you know we're looking for that kind of wide receiver same conversation we had with TJ Moore could be TJ Moore could be Brian Wesco could be Adam Randall but you look at Brian Wesco and TJ Moore say this is two wide receivers that are exactly what Clemson is looking for on the off side of the football now I want to throw in a few honorable mentions specifically at the cornerback spot and this has a little bit more to do with the injuries that you know Shelton Lewis and Jaden Lucas have picked up during fall Camp there's a very real chance it sounds like that some of these true freshman cornerbacks might need to step up on the boundary and play early for Clemson and so whether that's tooy whether that's coryan Gibson whether that's Ashton Hampton you look at those three quarterbacks and say there's a very real possibility that they are going to be starting some games early on in the season for this Clemson team so I would throw some of those boundary cornerbacks into this list as well but I think one thing you can have a lot of confidence in Davos Sweeney if you are a true freshman that is good enough to play for Clemson he's gonna lean on you he's gonna play you he's gonna play the best football players the players that give this Clemson team the biggest chance and best chance to win on Saturdays and you got a lot of freshman that I think can in some sort of way impact this Clemson team those are the five freshman that I would be looking for at the running back position David I I think he could be a guy too it sounds like Keith Adams might have taken that running back two spot but I think that is certainly up for the taken after Phil mafa who's going to emerge as that running back I think it certainly could be David so we'll see how it plays out those are my five freshmen that I think are going to have the biggest impact for this Clemson program we'll cut it down there again appre apprciate you guys rocking with the fellas if you all do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel appreciate you guys and we'll talk to youall later