Adversity Fuels Clemson Tigers 2025 National Championship Run

The Clemson Tigers are loaded with players who battled through relatively tough times the last two seasons to make a run at another national championship.

Clemson Tigers cornerback Shelton Lewis had an interception return for a touchdown as a freshman in 2023. | Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

The 2023 season for the Clemson Tigers was one to forget compared to seasons around it, but there is always a silver lining. 

In a season that was tainted by injury bugs and falling short in big games, head coach Dabo Swinney did have some positives that came out of the 9-4 season, being the first time that he has not won more than 10 games in a season since 2010. 

Clemson Tigers On SI | Facebook | X

The positive: the young players who stepped up. Now, these players will need to do the same if Clemson wants to elevate into a national championship contender. 

Fans got to learn the likes of leading receiver Tyler Brown, who was a true freshman, and Khalil Barnes, who led the team in interceptions with three. 

Peter Woods and T.J. Parker were Freshmen All-Americans coming off the defensive line, continuing the echoes of “D-Line U” that have been projected onto the position group. 

When it was in doubt, many of these Tigers, who were freshmen and sophomores, got live reps in some of the biggest stages. In Clemson’s 2023 win over Notre Dame, the Tigers were broken by the injury bug, and the second shift of players stepped up for a season-saving win at home. 

Fans got to know Avieon Terrell, who was a true freshman at the time, and finished with an interception and several pass breakups. Shelton Lewis, in the same class as Terrell, had two picks for the Tigers as a true freshman, returning one for a touchdown. 

Kylon Griffin had a game-sealing interception against the Fighting Irish and picked off Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King a week later, proving his worth. Offensive linemen Collin Sadler and Harris Sewell were players who didn’t see the field early on before finishing the year as rotational pieces. 

In 2024, after all of these players were able to prove their worth, they had to go through adversity. Last season, tough losses and upsets saw the team grow, and with the program having the highest retention rate this past offseason, it’s now time to put it all together. 

Adding reinforcement is crucial for this Clemson team if it is to make a deep run into the College Football Playoff this season. Having played in high-leverage games so early in their collegiate careers, the experience will be valuable with the Tigers having a deceptively strong schedule. 

Fans and media know the likes of quarterback Cade Klubnik, Woods, and Parker, but winning is a team affair, and Swinney will need the likes of those players who took important snaps as freshmen to step up. 

This team has an experienced roster, and they’ll be bolstered by the newcomers, but the outcome of the season will be determined by the group of veterans who battled through adversity and stayed loyal to the Clemson Tigers.