Connor Salmin

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-1, 195 lbs. Taller than 43% and heavier than 79% of 2026 Wide Receiver prospects in the SEC Scouts database (329 with a listed size).

Play Style

Salmin is a vertical stretch receiver who wins with acceleration and speed he can hold through the route. Bullis used him on go routes, posts, and deep crossers, and got him the ball on screens and quick hitters to let him run after the catch. His high yards-per-catch comes from separating late on the deep ball and breaking long runs after the catch rather than from lots of short catches. He tracks the deep ball well and doesn't slow down to catch it, which is what separates track athletes who can play receiver from those who can't. He's at his best working off the ball from the Z spot or on motion, where a free release lets his speed show right away.

Strengths

• Verified track speed: national-record relay legs and repeated All-America honors, so defenses have to respect him vertically on every snap and safeties are forced to stay deep
• Consistent production at two schools and two levels: 1,000+ yards and 16 TDs as a sophomore at Woodgrove (VA), All-Region as a junior, then 1,013 yards and 14 TDs at Bullis in the IAC, one of the DMV's toughest private-school leagues
• Big plays after the catch: about 17.8 yards per catch as a senior and 1,336 all-purpose yards, which shows he turns short throws into long gains and can help in the return game
• Adds more speed to his frame without looking stiff; at 6-1 he can win the 50/50 ball as well as run past corners

Areas to Improve

• Route detail and tempo: like many track-heavy receivers, he needs to learn to sink his hips, drive off-leverage corners, and run the intermediate route tree (dig, curl, comeback) instead of relying on speed to create separation
• Physicality against press and as a blocker: he needs added mass and hand usage to beat ACC press corners at the line and to hold up as a perimeter run blocker in Clemson's offense
• Splitting time between track and football: continued high-level track work cuts into football reps, and his feel for coverages and ability to adjust to the ball on contested throws need more reps

College Projection

Clemson's receiver room is deep: Bryant Wesco Jr., TJ Moore, and Tyler Brown start, and he arrived alongside fellow 4-stars Naeem Burroughs and Sellars. He's a reserve in 2026. Enrolling early bought him a spring and a summer of strength work, so a realistic first season is special-teams duty, deep-shot packages, and a possible redshirt under the four-game rule. By 2027-28, once the top of the depth chart graduates or leaves for the draft, he projects as a starting Z/X deep threat. His ceiling is a 45-55 catch, 800+ yard receiver averaging 16+ yards a catch.

NFL Outlook

Day 2-3 draft range if his route running develops. Verified speed at 6-1/190+ is the one trait NFL teams can't coach, and a sub-4.4 40 at the Combine is plausible given his relay splits. Whether he goes in Rounds 2-3 or 5-7 depends on whether he becomes a complete route runner or stays a straight-line specialist. The earliest realistic draft year is 2028 (after his third season); 2029 is more likely given the depth ahead of him.

Best Fit

An RPO or spread offense that throws deep off play-action and puts receivers in motion for free releases, like Clemson's under Garrett Riley. Programs with a strong track program that let him keep sprinting, and a receivers coach known for turning track athletes into route runners, get the most out of him. A pro-style offense with heavy personnel and few vertical shots would waste his best trait.