The Clemson Tigers‘ fall from national championship grace has been eye-opening. For the second straight year, the Tigers suffered an embarrassing Week 1 loss, this time falling 34-3 to the Georgia Bulldogs.
While the Bulldogs’ victory isn’t all that surprising, as they are the No. 1 team in the country, it’s the margin of defeat that should have Clemson wondering if Dabo Swinney’s flame has burnt out.
Clemson Blown Out By Georgia in Season Opener
The Tigers ranked 14th on the AP Preseason Top 25 poll and were expected — by other outlets — to rebound after posting their first non-double-digit-win season since 2010 last year (9-4).
Most of the country would be beyond ecstatic with a nine-win campaign, but Clemson isn’t most of the country — at least, they weren’t from 2016-2021.
In that six-year span, Swinney led his program to six consecutive College Football Playoff appearances, winning two national championships. But the team has been on a steady decline since, correlating with the rise of the transfer portal.
Why does that matter? Swinney has infamously avoided the portal, bringing in zero players this offseason. However, if you ask him, their recruiting class counts since they “transferred” from high school.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart discussed his program’s usage of the portal during his postgame press conference, saying, “If we’re going to lose kids, we’ve got to replace them with high-quality kids that are looking to have an opportunity to win a championship. … You can’t survive in the SEC without the depth you need. It’s a forced situation — you have to use [the portal].”
As a blueblood program in the ACC, the Tigers could get away without an influx of transfer talent easier than most, but their lack of player development hasn’t helped.
Star safety Andrew Mukuba transferred to Texas this offseason and spoke on Clemson’s inability to grow their own talents on the Behind The Facemask podcast:
“My time at Clemson, I felt like I wasn’t really getting better. I wasn’t being pushed enough to where I could reach my potential and my peak. The program wasn’t where it needed to be for me and the whole team to be successful. After my junior year, I felt like it was the same thing. After that, it was only right for me to transfer.”
The Tigers finished 50th in both points (29.8) and yards per game last season (402.7), and there are few reasons to believe they’ll improve in 2024. The unit lost several starters, namely RB Will Shipley, WR Beaux Collins, and C Will Putnam.
Clemson’s coaching staff, including second-year offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, bet the house on true junior Cade Klubnik, who completed just 63.9% of his passes at 6.3 yards per clip in 2023. The former five-star recruit and No. 1 QB in the 2022 class struggled with decision-making and ball security despite owning one of the lowest average depth of targets in the ACC.
Growth is expected in young players, but that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed. Klubnik isn’t even the only young player with pressure to step up in 2024.
The Tigers will rely on four underclassmen in the WR room: redshirt sophomore Antonio Williams, sophomore Tyler Brown, and true freshmen Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore.
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In the blowout to Georgia, Klubnik completed just 18 of 29 passes for 142 yards (4.9 per attempt), no touchdowns, and one interception. The offense finished with 188 total yards, 259 less than the Bulldogs’ 447. The unit averaged a paltry 2.0 yards per rush and picked up just 4 of 13 third downs.
In the postgame conference, Swinney said, “This one will leave a mark. It’s going to be one I never forget.”
Clemson’s storied history and strong defense are undeniable, but offensive uncertainties and a lack of key roster additions cloud the team’s outlook. If the Tigers falter again this season, Swinney will be forced to reconsider his approach to an ever-evolving college football landscape. And if he doesn’t, the program will be forced to reconsider his future.
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