A season ago, the ACC went 0-2 in the College Football Playoff. Clemson, the long-time star of the league, lost three regular-season games and had to best SMU in the ACC title game to claim its CFP spot. But the Tigers return with one of the nation’s top QBs in Heisman candidate Cade Klubnik. They also return with a stout defense that makes them the likely favorite in the ACC.
Clemson doesn’t have to win the ACC to reach the CFP. But the Tigers might just pull off both of those feats. Dabo Swinney still doesn’t love the transfer portal, but a team with this much talent raises the question of whether he can win it all without going deep on transfers. If anybody can, it’s Clemson.
Clemson Season Preview for 2025
Personnel Overview
It all started at QB, where Klubnik passed for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns a season ago. He’s a legitimate Heisman Trophy front-runner, and can also run, as his 463 yards and seven scores prove. That said, he’s the top returning rusher, with Phil Mafah headed off to the NFL. Freshman Gideon Davidson is worth a watch, while Jay Haynes is the top returnee in the running back stable.
Clemson also returns with its top three receivers from last season in terms of yardage. Antonio Williams had 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 scores. Bryant Wesco Jr. and TJ Moore will also play major roles again.
Up front, Clemson returns with four starters from a group that allowed just 25 sacks and rushed for 5.1 yards per carry last season. The Tigers went +16 in turnover margin a season ago, and some of that is a careful offense.
Defensively, Clemson returns with most of the group that held foes to 23.4 points per game. Up front, TJ Parker and Peter Woods are each returning standouts who could help dominate opposing linemen up front. Parker had 64 tackles and 11 sacks last season.
The top two tacklers on the 2024 defense return in the linebacking corps, with Wade Woodaz (89 tackles, seven tackles for loss) and Sammy Brown (87 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss). The secondary is a stable veteran group with corner Aveion Terrell (64 tackles, 13 passes broken up) and safety Khalil Barnes (60 tackles, five passes broken up) as the leaders.
Special teams struggled in 2024, with Nolan Hauser struggling with consistency as a kicker and punter Aidan Swanson being up and down. Swanson is gone, but with the number of athletes on this roster, Clemson’s return game should help offset any issues in the kicking game.
Schedule Overview
The big story in the schedule is that the Tigers won’t have to face Miami, the other top contender in the ACC race. That does simplify the ACC quest, but there are plenty of potentially tough games here. Fellow CFP squad and preseason No. 16 SMU is a home game for Clemson on October 18. Louisville sits just outside the top 25 and will host the Tigers in a Friday road game on November 14.
The other Clemson road games include the Belichick-led North Carolina Tar Heels and the annual rivalry game against South Carolina. The opener against No. 9 LSU is also a tough challenge. With LSU and South Carolina as non-conference games, nobody is going to accuse the Tigers of taking it easy on the non-conference slate.
Win-Loss Prediction
Clemson might be favored in every game this season, with the opener being the biggest threat on that front. Out of the four openers against LSU, SMU, Louisville, and South Carolina, one will likely be a defeat; LSU or Louisville seems the most likely.
Few teams can sneak through 12 games without an upset, and the Tigers could be no exception. Syracuse, Georgia Tech, or North Carolina are the most likely candidates on that front.
Clemson is likely to end up 10-2, which should put them at the top of the ACC and in the thick of the CFP race once again.
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