Clemson football starter named a 'most lethal' player entering 2026

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Because of a season-ending injury, Clemson football wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. didn’t have the kind of year many hoped for in 2025. A back injury suffered in the Tigers’ loss to SMU on Oct. 18 cut short the consensus five-star recruit’s sophomore campaign after just seven games.

Wesco made 31 catches for 537 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, but his season ended abruptly when he landed on his head during a punt return in the third quarter of the Tigers’ 35-24 loss to the Mustangs.

Wesco had a promising freshman season in 2024. He made 41 catches for 708 yards and five touchdowns, which helped Clemson win the ACC and advance to the College Football Playoff for the first time in four years.

Back in February, coach Dabo Swinney called Wesco’s progress “amazing.” Wesco didn’t participate in Clemson’s annual spring game but is expected to start the Tigers’ 2026 season opener on Sept. 5 at LSU.

CBS Sports recently named Wesco one of its 10 most lethal receivers entering 2026, ranking him No. 10 behind Alabama Crimson Tide starter Ryan Williams. Unsurprisingly, Ohio State‘s Jeremiah Smith topped the list, followed by Miami’s Malachi Toney.

Brad Crawford of CBS Sports said of Wesco:

“Wesco only played in six games for the Tigers last season after suffering a back injury against SMU in October, but his production levels were impressive, including a pair of two-touchdown outings. At full strength, Wesco’s a field-stretcher and gives first-year starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina two legitimate No. 1s on the outside paired with T.J. Moore. Clemson has previously utilized Wesco’s ability in space on crossers and within a new offense coached by Chad Morris, he should get plenty of targets. Quarterback play will determine the ceiling here for Wesco and Moore.”

On the subject of quarterback play, Vizzina recently landed at No. 9 in CBS Sports’ ACC quarterback rankings ahead of 2026. Vizzina, a four-star recruit from Birmingham, was ranked one spot below Louisville’s Lincoln Kienholz, a transfer from Ohio State, and one spot in front of Missouri transfer Beau Pribula (Virginia).

Miami’s Darian Mensah was ranked No. 1.

Clemson football schedule 2026

  • Sept. 5: at LSU
  • Sept. 12: vs. Georgia Southern
  • Sept. 19: vs. North Carolina
  • Sept. 25: at California
  • Oct. 3: vs. Miami
  • Oct. 17: vs. Charleston Southern
  • Oct. 24: vs. Virginia Tech
  • Oct. 31: at Florida State
  • Nov. 6: at Syracuse
  • Nov. 14: vs. Georgia Tech
  • Nov. 21: at Duke
  • Nov. 28: vs. South Carolina

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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football starter named a ‘most lethal’ starter entering 2026

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