CLEMSON – In its 2026 recruiting class, Clemson signed seven high school players with a 4-star designation.

Three of those players, almost half of the Tigers’ 4-stars, are wide receivers in their high school class. Of the 22 true freshmen Clemson signed entering this season, the wide receivers may have some of the best chances to make an impact on the team and in Chad Morris’ offense. 

The highest ranked wide receiver is Naeem Burroughs, a shifty, Jacksonville, Fla., native who stands 5-foot-11. He entered the early signing period credited with 163 career receptions for 3,614 yards and 49 touchdowns. With kickoff return and interception yards added, the wideout finished his high school career with 4,590 all-purpose yards at The Bolles School, which has produced several NFL talents.

Burroughs’ first-ever high school reception resulted in a 77-yard touchdown catch, and it set the tone for a prolific career. He opened his senior year with a 53-yard touchdown reception in which he was touched by eight defenders– none of which could bring him down.

Burroughs has elite speed as a two-time 4×100 meter-relay track state champion. At Clemson, Burroughs will be entering a new offense that focuses on getting the ball to its playmakers.

The freshman got to show off his skills for the first time in the Tigers’ annual Orange and White Spring Game this past March. The wideout finished with three receptions on four targets with 28 yards.

Along with Burroughs, fellow freshman wide receiver Gordon Sellars III racked up 34 yards on three receptions with 23 yards after the catch. Sellars, a Charlotte, N.C., native won three state titles at Providence Day School and was awarded all-state honors twice.

Sellars finished his career with 2,649 all-purpose yards and 29 receiving touchdowns. 

Like Burroughs, he has track-like speed. With a 6-foot-3 frame, Sellars will rarely be at a size disadvantage in college, though adding some muscle will help keep off physical defensive backs.

After the spring game, head coach Dabo Swinney mentioned that all of the freshman wide receivers had been “baptized” in practice by big cornerbacks like Ashton Hampton, so Sellars will be prepared to face similar defenders when and if he gets opportunities this fall. 

He may not yet have the physicality of older receivers like T.J. Moore or Bryant Wesco Jr., but with his hands, size and speed, he has as much upside as any player on the team.

Finally, rounding out the freshman wide receiver trio is Connor Salmin, yet another decorated track athlete. Salmin won a state championship in the 100-meter dash as a sophomore in Virginia and earned four state titles and three All-American honors as a track athlete.

He ran a personal-best 10.44-second 100-meter dash and was part of a 4×200 team that finished with the second-best time in high school history.

On the football field, Salmin was named The Bullis School’s captain and Offensive MVP in his lone senior season there, finishing with 57 receptions for 1,013 yards and 14 touchdowns. As a sophomore at Woodgrove High School, he played both ways, finishing with 16 receiving touchdowns in 10 games as well as four interceptions on defense.

With his speed, Salmin is also very polished. He possesses good size at 6-foot-1, 195, and is developed physically for his age. It will be interesting to see how Morris utilizes the speedy, disciplined Virginia native.

Clemson’s wide receivers may make up the best room on the entire team, and have a case to be the best group of wideouts in the ACC. With Wesco, Moore and Tyler Brown on the team, none of these freshmen will feel pressured to immediately take over as the first option but they should provide production when they get opportunities.