Why ESPN is Wrong About Clemson Tigers Snub in Way-Too-Early Top 25

We are at the point in the college football offseason where outlets are speculating the outlooks of their respective teams, and the Clemson Tigers could be going under the radar in 2026.

Just ask ESPN, which snubbed Clemson out of its way-too-early top 25 projections heading into the summer. While it’s understandable that the Tigers should drop due to their disappointing 7-6 season in 2025, there are plenty of new players on the team that will be exciting and could bring potential success to the program next season.

Three other ACC programs made the list for the rankings: Miami at No. 7, Louisville at No. 21 and SMU at No. 22. However, a strong start to the season could see Clemson officially enter the AP Top 25 in September. There are a few reasons why that could happen.

Tom Allen's Rebuilt Defense

Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen had a productive unit in 2025, but he wants more results in his second season. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The first is any improvement on the defense, which saw plenty of busted coverages and missed tackles that extended drives and ended in disappointment. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen brought in nine transfers on that side of the ball, including two safeties in Corey Myrick and Jerome Carter III, a starting cornerback who has already turned heads in Elliot Washington II and a lot of help on the defensive line.

Yet, through all the troubles, Clemson averaged 20.5 points allowed per game, its best since the 2021 season. If that lowers at all, it would move the needle for one, perhaps two games by itself. That’s impressive from Allen in just his first season, and he will build on it in his second.

Establishing the Run Game

Clemson running back Gideon Davidson (8) is primed to have a big sophomore year for the Tigers. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tigers have to play complementary football, and head coach Dabo Swinney knew. So, he brought in an old friend who gave him prior success on offense under Chad Morris. Now, he is looking to fix one of the most important things on the offense.

Running the football.

Clemson averaged 3.7 yards per carry, enough for 103rd in the country in that statistic. A year before, it averaged 4.8. In the 2024 season, in which the Tigers reached the College Football Playoff, their offense was balanced enough to play with the best teams in the country. That’s what Morris will need to improve on first to be multi-dimensional on offense next season.

The skill positions are the same, if not better. The running backs will feature sophomore standout Gideon Davidson and SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr., who both bring tremendous styles that will differ from first-year running back Adam Randall's last season. If Morris can hit the ground running with this, it will make first-year starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina’s job much easier.

At wideout, Vizzina has plenty to work with, including guys like junior tandem Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore. Perhaps a standout 2026 could have them being talked about as first-round draft picks in a year from now.

Blends like that should limit the three one-score losses that Clemson saw in 2025. The Tigers were in every game, and if there is more complimentary football and a resilient defense, Swinney should have a team that could compete for an ACC Championship next season.

But nothing is set in stone until the ball is kicked off in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Sept. 5. Only time will tell if Clemson flips the script after a down year in 2025.

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