Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney raved about a young wide receiver and his future with the Tigers.
During his press conference Tuesday, Swinney praised sophomore wideout Juju Preston for doing a “great job” after stepping into a larger role during Clemson’s 18-13 victory at Syracuse last Saturday.
Filling in for injured starting slot receiver Tyler Brown, Preston caught three passes for 21 yards and had a 4-yard rush. But his performance went beyond simply the box score.
Swinney highlighted Preston’s speed and impact, calling the Virginia state record holder “lightning” fast. He noted that Preston made a critical block to help spring Jarvis Green’s 53-yard run on the first play from scrimmage.
“Juju did a great job. He’s fast. That dude’s lightning,” Swinney said. “The first play of the game, he was the key block. If you look at it, he did a great job of coming in and cracking. All 160-something pounds of him. He truly sprung it right there to get it to the third level.”
Swinney also pointed out that Preston’s vertical speed and ability to take the top off a defense allowed fellow wide receiver T.J. Moore to get so wide open on a third-and-17 play late in the third quarter where Moore dropped a potential touchdown pass.
“He had a couple other plays that he impacts the play,” Swinney said of Preston. “Like, on the play T.J. dropped, he’s wide open because of Juju. Juju just completely lifted the whole lid of the defense.”
Swinney sees a very bright future ahead for Preston, who was credited with 185 receptions for 3,700 yards and 67 touchdowns during his prep career. The Alexandria, Va., native is the all-time receiving touchdown leader in Virginia state history.
A former three-star recruit, Preston transferred to Hayfield Secondary School for his senior season in 2024 after helping Freedom High School to the Class 6 VHSL State Championships in 2022 and 2023, going 28-0 over those two seasons. He left Freedom as its all-time receiving leader after only three years.
After playing seven offensive snaps in two game appearances while redshirting in his first season at Clemson last year, Preston has appeared in eight of the Tigers’ nine games this season, logging 112 total snaps and catching 10 passes for 70 yards, in addition to 15 rushing yards on two carries.
Swinney complimented Preston’s football IQ, noting that he is smart, knows exactly what to do on the field, plays fast and made an instant impact when his number was called.
Swinney is really excited about Preston’s development and long-term upside.
“He plays really fast. He’s a kid that’s gaining confidence,” Swinney said. “He’s talented. He’s smart. He knows what to do. He’s made a huge jump for us. He’s a guy that’s just gotta keep going. We’re going to look up here in about three years, and we’re going to all be going, ‘Gah-lee, look at this kid.’ He’s got a chance to be a special player.”
To reach his full potential, Swinney emphasized that Preston (listed at 6-foot, 155 pounds on Clemson’s official roster) needs to continue progressing physically.
“He’s just gotta stay the course,” Swinney said. “He’s gotta eat. He’s gotta stay in that weightroom. He’s gotta live right. It’s gotta be a wholistic approach for him because he’s super talented and got good skill.”
“He did a good job,” Swinney added of Preston’s performance at Syracuse. “ He stepped up and did some good stuff.”
