Three Hot Takes For Clemson Football Ahead of 2026

With talking season almost over, here are three hot takes to continue the discussion heading into fall camp.

Could the Clemson Tigers flip the script in 2026 with new coaches and transfers? Only time will tell. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The beginning of August means the end of talking season, unless I have to say something about it. 

Clemson football has one of the biggest prove-it seasons in all of college football in 2026, and head coach Dabo Swinney is at the forefront of it. With questions on if he can change with the recurring new laws of the sport, he adjusted to it the most throughout this offseason. 

However, bold predictions come with each new season that comes with it. Here are my three for the Tigers.

1. Clemson Has A 1,000-Yard Rusher in Chad Morris’s First Season

Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris is making it an emphasis to run the football better in 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Since the 2020 season, the Tigers have only had a running back reach more than 1,000 yards on the ground twice: Will Shipley in 2022 and Phil Mafah in 2024. However, there’s a script for that to change with Morris back in 2026. 

In his first three seasons, Morris had an 1,000 yard rusher, whether it was Andre Ellington or Roderick McDowell. 

Morris has also emphasized how important the run game will need to be in 2026 for Clemson to thrive on offense. It won’t matter if it’s Christopher Vizzina or Tait Reynolds at quarterback if the team can’t run the ball, and that’s what hurt the Tigers last season when Adam Randall wasn’t breaking away from opposing defenses.

The expected pick is second-year tailback Gideon Davidson, who ran for 260 yards while only receiving most of those snaps in the latter half of the season. If Morris’s emphasis is there, and Davidson is running the ball more than double-digit amounts per game, there’s season to believe it ends happening. 

The rebuttal, however, would be the number of running backs in the room, which includes SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr. However, if Clemson wants its best back in the game to move the chains, Davidson will probably be their guy. 

2. Clemson Has a First-Team All-American 

If Clemson has an All-American, many will look to linebacker Sammy Brown to be that guy. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tigers haven’t had this since Travis Etienne was a consensus first-team nod in 2020 as a kick returner, but if Clemson responds this season, there are plenty of candidates who can make the spot. 

Linebacker Sammy Brown has garnered First Team All-American hype already, getting a nod earlier this summer to be named to the list. If you want to remain on defense, if edge rusher Will Heldt builds on his junior year, it will be difficult to keep him off the list, especially if Clemson’s defense improves in its second season under Tom Allen. 

The ceilings are high for safety transfers Corey Myrick and Jerome Carter III as well. 

On offense, two former five-stars in Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore can have those types of seasons, but they’ll have to fend off the likes of Cam Coleman, Nick Marsh, Jeremiah Smith and Malachi Toney, among others. If the Tigers’ offensive line dominates in 2026, names like Brayden Jacobs will be at the forefront. 

If Clemson bounces back, there will be a name that emerges as the key piece of being the catalyst. Maybe the name isn’t one that I mentioned. Only time will tell. 

3. Clemson Will Win Against Either LSU or Miami 

Clemson Tigers wide receiver Tyler Brown (6) runs the ball against the Miami Hurricanes during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The discussion over the summer has been what Clemson’s record will be after its first five games, which feature the likes of LSU, Miami and Cal, as well as Georgia Southern and North Carolina. What if the Tigers move the needle in almost all of those games?

We’ve seen Week 1 games go on their heads in recent seasons. Florida State wasn’t a bowl team in 2025 but took down Alabama, a College Football Playoff team. If Clemson clicks early, can it take down LSU? The Bayou Bengals are heavily favored, but we’ve seen upsets early. Maybe Swinney catches head coach Lane Kiffin off guard early and takes advantage of that. 

Then, we have Miami. Being the runner-up to the national champion last season, as well as picking up Duke quarterback Darian Mensah, a lot will depend on Allen’s defense taking that next step and avoiding what Mensah did last season. 

The Hurricanes also drop games in the ACC each season. Syracuse defeating them put Clemson in the ACC Championship game in 2024. SMU took them out of Charlotte last season. Especially with home-field advantage being in Clemson’s favor, momentum could ride into this high-stakes ACC contest in Swinney’s favor. 

Again, all of these are hot takes, but if Clemson flips the script in 2026, which could be considered a hot take in itself, these three things will most likely occur following it.