Clemson’s Brown, Louisville’s Brown Named ACC Football Rookies of the Year
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Louisville running back Isaac Brown has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year while Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown was tabbed the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, it was announced on Wednesday, December 4.
Voting for the awards was conducted by a 71-member voting panel consisting of 54 selected media and the conference’s 17 head coaches.
Isaac Brown is the first Louisville student-athlete to be named the ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year. Brown ranks first nationally among freshmen in yards per rush (7.31), while ranking second in all-purpose yards per game (119.00) and rushing yards (1,074). His 89.5 rushing yards per game rank third among FBS freshmen, while his 11 rushing touchdowns rank fourth. The Homestead, Florida, native’s 1,074 rushing yards rank second in Louisville history for a freshman while also being the only Cardinal freshman to ever eclipse 1,000 rushing yards and 10 or more rushing touchdowns in a season. Brown was named the ACC Rookie of the Week three times this season and the ACC Running Back of the Week on December 2, after rushing for 178 yards and two touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 41-14 win over Kentucky.
Sammy Brown is the fourth Tiger to be named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and first since Andrew Mukuba in 2021. Brown logged eight or more tackles in five games this season, including a season-high 11 against The Citadel. He became the first Clemson rookie to log 50 or more tackles and 10.0 or more tackles-for-loss in a season since Dexter Lawrence in 2016. The Commerce, Georgia, native was named the ACC Linebacker and Rookie of the Week on November 11 following his eight-tackle performance, including a sack and 2.5 tackles-for-loss, in the Tigers’ win at Virginia Tech.
A complete breakdown of the 2024 ACC Football Player of the Year voting:
Rookie of the Year
- Isaac Brown – Louisville (45)
- Eli Holstein – Pitt (17)
- CJ Bailey – NC State (3)
- Sammy Brown – Clemson (2)
- OJ Frederique – Miami (2)
- Bryant Wesco Jr. – Clemson (1)
- T.J. Moore – Clemson (1)
Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Isaac Brown – Louisville (45)
- Eli Holstein – Pitt (16)
- CJ Bailey – NC State (6)
- Bryant Wesco Jr. – Clemson (2)
- T.J. Moore – Clemson (2)
Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Sammy Brown – Clemson (42)
- OJ Frederique – Miami (21)
- Quentin Reddish – Virginia Tech (4)
- Maraad Watson – Syracuse (2)
- Brandon Nicholson – Stanford (2)