Where Did Clemson Land in the Latest Preseason Coaches Poll?

Clemson entered the latest Coaches Poll with plenty of questions surrounding the program, but did the Tigers land where they truly belong?

On Monday, USA Today released the 2026 Preseason Coaches Poll, and Clemson was one of three ACC teams to make the Top 25, sitting at the No. 23 spot. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Clemson Football's fall camp period begins tomorrow, and with the season looming closer, there's been a newly released poll discussing the top teams in the country.

On Tuesday afternoon, USA Today announced the 2026 Preseason AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) Coaches Poll, which included the Top 25 teams in the nation, based on votes from 62 active FBS head coaches.

One of the most shocking teams to make the list was Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney, who came in at the No. 23 spot. They are one of just three ACC teams on the list, with SMU sitting at No. 20 and Miami at No. 7. 

It is also the lowest preseason coaches' ranking the Tigers have received since the 2011 season, when they entered unranked after a 6-7 campaign in 2010.

BREAKING: College Football Preseason Coaches Poll👀https://t.co/gnEe967fmH pic.twitter.com/W2xBYGZWYe

— On3 (@On3) August 4, 2026

While it's unfortunate that many, including fans, are surprised by the Tigers' representation on the list, it's reasonable to question whether they deserve the ranking in the first place. 

Fresh off a College Football Playoff appearance, expectations were high for the Tigers heading into the 2025 season, especially with projected Heisman contender Cade Klubnik leading the charge. 

However, those hopes quickly faded after a 1-3 start through the first four weeks. Clemson rebounded to go 6-2 over the remainder of the regular season, but a loss to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl left the Tigers with a 7-6 overall record — the program's worst finish since 2010.

Since then, there's been a lot of change to the team's depth chart, as the program picked up over 10 transfers through the portal and has multiple players on the team who will be seeing their biggest role yet due to departures (i.e., quarterback Christopher Vizzina, linebacker Kobe McCloud, etc), whether those came from portal entries or players heading to the NFL. 

That said, the combination of poor performance last season and question marks on both the offensive and defensive sides heading into this season is the most prominent reason this landing spot comes as such a surprise.  

While this ranking comes with some expectations for the program from coaches, a majority of College Football fans feel the Tigers have pretty low expectations ahead of 2026, and ultimately, that might be what's best for them.

To put it into perspective, Clemson entered the 2023 season — Klubnik's first as the full-time starter — ranked No. 9 nationally, but finished No. 20 with a 9-4 record. Expectations were more modest heading into 2024, when the Tigers opened at No. 14 before going 10-4, making their first College Football Playoff appearance since 2020 and finishing No. 11 in the country. Expectations then soared entering last season, with Clemson beginning the year ranked No. 4 nationally, only to collapse to a disappointing 7-6 finish and fall out of the rankings entirely.

Expectations have clearly influenced Clemson's trajectory in recent years, but with this season presenting a different set of circumstances, only time will tell whether the Tigers rise above them or fall short once again.