Is ESPN Correct For Clemson's Position in Future Power Rankings List?

A year ago, the Clemson Tigers were thought to be in great hands, depending on transfers, the 2026 recruiting class and the probability of different players being drafted in the NFL Draft.

However, ESPN dropped the program 15 spots from last season to this season. In the annual “Future Power Rankings” of college football, college football writer Adam Rittenberg has Clemson now ranked at No. 22. Head coach Dabo Swinney’s program was previously in the top 10 at No. 7.

Being described as a “selective approach” to the way Swinney handled the portal, Clemson’s defense will be filled with players who will have an opportunity and others who arrived via the portal. Then, the Tigers will have the key players that they returned, like edge rusher Will Heldt, linebacker Sammy Brown and cornerback Ashton Hampton.

All will look to take another step in their respective seasons, while adding the likes of cornerback Elliot Washington II, safeties Jerome Carter III and Corey Myrick and defensive tackle Markus Strong build competition.

Rittenberg said that Clemson’s quarterback room is “a step backward” after the 2025 season, but he highlights the quarterback battle between redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina and true freshman Tait Reynolds. The key point here is the mention that whoever wins this summer’s quarterback battle should be the main guy until 2027.

That’s not how Swinney runs his offenses. Vizzina should be the guy to begin the season, regardless of who comes out on top. It wouldn’t be until mid-October or November, when the season is out of hand, if it is, that a change would be made.

The biggest change that many will see is happening on both the offensive and defensive lines. Clemson lost three drafted players on its defensive line, while losing four of its starters on the offensive line. While the Tigers added names like Strong to reinforce the defensive trenches, Swinney didn’t add an offensive player to its line.

It will rely on a 2026 class filled with talent and rotational pieces who will see elevated roles next season.

Rittenberg also notes that Clemson didn’t get a blue-chip transfer this year, seeing there could be room for improvement with how Swinney creates his roster in future offseasons. However, the 2025-26 offseason saw the most activity from the Tigers in program history, and that should trend up next season as well.

There’s a case for there to be uncertainty with Clemson football. Swinney lost plenty of cornerstone pieces that were two or three-year starters. However, sometimes players bloom who we don’t expect to rise to the occasion, and that could be the case.

September should decide where things stand with the Tigers going forward, but that doesn’t mean there’s plenty of upside throughout a roster looking to get back to the ACC Championship.

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