Four Clemson Tigers Fall on 2026 All-ACC Preseason Team

The Clemson Tigers will enter 2026 as underrated due to the lack of players on the preseason conference list, compared to what they typically see around this time.

Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown had the most votes on defense for a Preseason All-ACC player. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 will look to be a season filled with revenge for Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. However, he will enter the year with some of his players being underrated. 

The Tigers saw the results from the preseason ACC polls, which were conducted during the ACC Kickoff in the middle of the month. The number that Clemson took away was No. 4, which was the estimated finishing position it got in the conference and the number of players that made the Preseason All-ACC team. 

One step closer to kickoff 👀

The 2026 ACC Preseason Poll has been announced.

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— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) July 28, 2026

On offense, wideout Bryant Wesco Jr. was the only addition on the list, which edge rusher Will Heldt, linebacker Sammy Brown and cornerback Ashton Hampton made the list on defense. It’s Wesco and Brown’s second time being named to the team, while Heldt and Hampton make their debuts on the preseason list. 

Between junior duo Wesco and T.J. Moore, Wesco received a little more love from the media due to his start to 2025. While missing the second half of the season with a neck injury, he averaged over 75 yards per game receiving. Of course, it’s also difficult to have a spot with the likes of Miami’s Malachi Toney and Florida State’s Duce Robinson on the list. 

Brown received the most votes for an ACC defender, with 139, the only player to receive more than 100 votes on defense. Believe it or not, he also received votes for the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, garnering 11 votes. 

Heldt was a Third Team All-ACC player last season, leading the Tigers in tackles for loss and sacks to be named to the list. The Purdue transfer also received four votes for the Preseason Player of the Year honor, which eventually went to Miami quarterback Darian Mensah. 

Hampton rounds out the list, looking to take that next step to be the Tigers’ next shutdown cornerback that the program prides itself on. It was Avieon Terrell who carried the torch in recent years, and it’s Hampton’s turn to hold it. 

As for the overall rankings, the Tigers go from first at the beginning of last season to fourth this year. The media gave Clemson 2,520 votes, being behind Miami, SMU and Louisville, respectively. The Hurricanes are the runaway preseason winner, with 165 first-place votes, but Swinney’s group received the second-most first-place votes out of the conference with seven. 

Clemson’s 7-6 season last year has changed the media's perception of where they typically put the Tigers on these preseason lists. If there’s any year to do it for the program, it would be in 2026, especially with out-of-conference opponents like LSU and South Carolina having the team in primetime often. 

If Swinney sees his Tigers do it and defy the odds, expect the four players mentioned to play a factor in doing so.