The last five years have been a dry streak by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney’s standards. The Tigers, who won the National Championship under Swinney in 2016 and 2018 and made another two College Football Playoff National Championship Games in 2016 and 2019, haven’t won a game in the CFP since 2019, a drought they hope to end soon.
While teams like Ohio State and Texas gain unimaginable amounts of hype as the season approaches, could a dark horse like Clemson sneak in and steal the title away, recapturing the championship glory of years past?
Can Dabo Swinney Lead Clemson’s Stacked Roster to a Championship?
Last year, the Clemson Tigers finished the season 9-3 after a November 30 loss to rival South Carolina, but a Syracuse upset of then No. 6 Miami earned them a spot in the ACC Championship Game.
They edged out SMU and earned themselves a spot as the final team in the 12-team College Football Playoff, losing in the first round to Texas.
Swinney’s team is stacked as ever this year and looking for a redo. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Tigers have the eighth-best odds to win the national championship at +1600, and earned themselves the No. 3 spot on On3’s Ari Wasserman’s post-spring Top 25.
Led by the best defensive line in the country and a group of talented wide receivers, the Tigers are a trendy pick to make a run this season, but the guy leading the charge makes the difference.
Labeled by some as the best quarterback in the country and a Heisman Trophy favorite entering the 2025 season, Cade Klubnik is ready to make some noise as he positions himself to top Arch Manning for the best quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Klubnik, an Austin native, started just one game his freshman year, backing up DJ Uiagalelei. He was given the keys to the program in the 2022 ACC Championship Game, throwing for 279 yards and a touchdown on 20/24 passing, adding 30 yards and a touchdown on the ground in Clemson’s 39-10 win over North Carolina.
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There were growing pains in his first full year as a starter, with Klubnik throwing for 2,844 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Clemson finished 8-4 in the regular season and 4-4 in ACC play, missing out on a championship opportunity.
But Klubnik stepped up his play last year. The junior threw for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, and only six interceptions, adding another 463 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
Swinney and the Tigers hope he takes another step as they chase gold again.
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