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Clemson's Hyped Freshman Has Been a Tremendous Disappointment
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- Clemson's Hyped Freshman Has Been a Tremendous Disappointment
(USA TODAY Network)
The Clemson Tigers entered the 2026 college football campaign with a very intriguing triumvirate of four-star freshman wide receivers: Naeem Burroughs, Gordon Sellars and Connor Salmin.
Burroughs was easily the most hyped of the bunch, and the prevailing thought was that he would be able to earn some playing time right off the bat.
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Well, here we are, five games in to the season, and Burroughs has hardly seen the field .
The first-year receiver doesn't have a single catch yet, and last month, head coach Dabo Swinney said that Burroughs was buried on the depth chart.
What happened here?
Burroughs was impressive in spring practice and seemed prepared to make a big impact in fall camp, but instead, he was surpassed by Sellars (who has logged two catches thus far in 2026) and hasn't recovered.
Clemson does have a pretty deep wide receiver room, led by T.J. Moore, Bryant Wesco and Tyler Brown. Tristan Smith and Juju Preston are in the mix, as well. But the general consensus was that Burroughs was good enough to play.
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Of course, this doesn't necessarily doom Burroughs' future with the Tigers, but it's definitely disappointing that the Jacksonville, Fl. native clearly isn't ready.
Clemson is known for producing good wide receivers, so no one should be doubting Swinney's instinct here. Obviously, he is seeing something he doesn't like.
But with Moore and Wesco almost guaranteed to take their talents to the NFL in the spring, where does that leave the Tigers' receiving corps for 2027?
Clemson has five-star talent Jamarin Simmons entering the fray next fall, so he'll likely be a factor. But will Burroughs actually be ready to step into a role in Year 2?
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And we haven't even heard anything about Salmin, the 6-foot-1 burner who has essentially been forgotten.
It's very apparent that Sellars ended up being the most ready of the bunch, and based on how good he looked over the summer, perhaps that shouldn't be a surprise.
But the fact that Burroughs is that far away from actually seeing playing time is jarring given how much hoopla surrounded him when he initially committed to Clemson.
There is still plenty of time for Burroughs to get himself right, but it's looking more and more like he will have to wait until next season to get his chance.
Considering some went as far to say he could compete for the Tigers' No. 3 receiver role in 2026, that's a tremendous bummer.
