The 2023 Clemson team is heavily recognized for the amount of experience across the field. On defense, the Tigers return a ton of talent like Xavier Thomas, Tyler Davis, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Sheridan Jones. That list goes on with playmakers on offense too like Will Shipley and Antonio Williams, even if he’s just a sophomore.

That’s just a short list of the veterans Clemson will have at its disposal this season, but head coach Dabo Swinney is excited for the young players that should see snaps. Following Day 5 of fall camp, Swinney went into detail about some of the players he expects a lot out of, and two of those he raved about were freshmen receivers Tyler Brown and Misun Kelley.

“Five days in, and [Tyler Brown] flashed for sure. Just like we thought, he’s really, really fast. I mean, he is really, really fast. He and [Misun Kelley] have really, I think shined well in that slot. I mean, they’re both playing the slot and getting a little bit of work at the Z as well but man, we got two good ones right there,” Swinney said.

Both Brown and Kelley are home-state players who grew up watching Clemson football in South Carolina. The former grew up in Greenville, less than an hour away from Death Valley, and his speed appears to be a big reason for excitement in this offense. Whether we see it early in the season is still unknown, but Swinney couldn’t help but talk about what he brings.

“Tyler is probably further along than I thought he might be from a technical standpoint. So, I knew he could run but from a technique standpoint and just his ability to grasp on, he’s a little further on than I thought he might be,” Swinney said.

While Brown has the blistering speed, Swinney talked about how Kelley is honed in on all the details. He noted that “both of them can run” but Kelley’s advantage comes in how polished he already is as a receiver at just 18 years old.

Kelley and Brown are the smaller of the wide receivers, standing at 5-foot-10 and 5-foot-11 respectively, and it allows for their shiftiness to shine. For Kelley, who goes by the nickname “Tink,” that mix of elusiveness and technique intrigues Swinney on how they can use him in Garrett Riley’s offense.

“Tink’s impressive, he’s got just unbelieable instincts for the game…Tink’s just really smooth, knows what to do with the ball in his hands,” Swinney said.

Both have flashed during fall camp, and it’ll be something to keep watch on throughout the prep for the season opener as we’ll have a good idea if either will contribute early. For now, they appear as the gadget guys for Riley with their speed and elusiveness, and it’s a great sign for the true freshmen in 2023.