Clemson Tigers WR Buying Into Being an 'Underdog' in Third Season

If you closely followed the Clemson Tigers’ 9-4 season in 2023, wide receiver Tyler Brown was a name that was a consistent positive with the team. 

As a true freshman, the Greenville native led the team in receptions and receiving yards. While he was expected to take a jump into his sophomore season a year ago, he was limited to only six total games due to an ankle injury, seeing little to no production in 2024. 

Now, Brown took a medical redshirt and is preparing for his third season with the Tigers. While most of the buzz is on the rest of the wide receiver, he enjoys being under the radar. 

“I’ve always been the underdog my whole life,” Brown said on Wednesday. “I like it, honestly. We got dogs at receiver. We got [Bryant] Wesco, TJ [Moore] [and] Antonio [Williams]; those boys are going to do their thing every time they go out there. Then, when they least expect it, six [is] going to give them a right hook. I like lying under the low lights; I don’t really mind it.”

The redshirt sophomore received high praise from head coach Dabo Swinney later Wednesday night, speaking about Brown’s efforts in fall camps. While the wide receiver room is heavy with value, Swinney is excited for the sets that go out onto the field throughout the season at the position. 

“He’s just been about his business every day,” Swinney said. “He’s had an excellent camp; he’s just showing up every day, plays fast, plays tough. I thought he was a great player as a freshman. Obviously, he was out last year, but he’s the best version of Tyler Brown that I’ve seen since he’s been at Clemson.” 

The progression doesn’t go without adversity, as Brown called the 2024 season “frustrating” with his ankle injury and struggling to stay healthy. He grew closer in his faith and became a leader off the field, where he was able to make that impact. 

“Taking a different point of view of the injury and seeing not ‘What is happening [to] me,’ but ‘Why is this happening, how do I go about it and how can I make teammates better not on the field,’” Brown said, “and, just being a leader to the young guys in the group and taking different roads.”

The receiver learned a lot from Williams, who suffered a similar injury to Brown’s two years ago in 2023. After Williams did a lot of work off the field that season, he was able to be one of the top receivers in the country.

 Brown looks to follow in the footsteps of his peer, who taught him how to be “grateful”. 

“Just how we treated everything on a pro level, like from his body to his nutrition, he’s really about his business,” Brown said. “Having that injury and not being able to play, you really see how much of God’s gift it is to be able to go out there and play on that field. So, I’m just really grateful he showed me how to be grateful for the game and take advantage of every asset that we had.”

Now fully healthy, Brown is training like a pro, eating right and showing out in spring and fall practices. Swinney is a believer, but there’s still work to be done against LSU on Saturday night. 

“He’s still got more work to do,” Swinney said, “but he’s the best that he’s been since he’s been here, and he’s been here two full years, so he’s getting his third year. As you should, he’s really developing into a really good player. 

For Brown, the receiver believes the Clemson offense can be “as good as we want it to be.”

“I’m just ready to see the action,” he said.