Breaking Down Clemson's Strengths, Weaknesses and the 1 Thing That Could Upset LSU

LSU and Clemson will be one of the most anticipated season-opening matchups in Week 1 of the 2026 college football season.

For Clemson, its first-ever regular-season trip to Baton Rouge gives this matchup extra weight, as it is also the first time the program has opened a season at an SEC venue since 2016, which began with a win at Auburn.

The issue for Clemson is that LSU is an 11.5-point favorite. So, can Dabo Swinney and his Tigers pull the upset?

Clemson's Strengths

The strongest part of this Clemson team is the defense, even after losing defensive tackle Peter Woods, edge rusher T.J. Parker and cornerback Aveion Terrell in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. DeMonte Capehart was also drafted later in the weekend, but the loss of Stephiylan Green, who transferred to LSU, truly made this offseason an exodus on the defensive line.

On the defensive line, it added Oklahoma defensive tackle Markus Strong and Colorado edge London Merritt.

Merritt was named to the PFF’s All-Freshman team in 2025 with eight tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, and a sack as a freshman. Strong will be a redshirt junior, but his inexperience and lack of high-end production raise questions. At 6-foot-3 and 297 pounds, he can be a force on the inside if he earns himself a starting role.

For Clemson, last season's 118th-nationally-ranked defense simply didn't cut it. But Swinney and defensive coordinator Tom Allen went and secured a lot of portal talent.

Penn State transfer Elliot Washington Jr. had his most productive season as a college player in 2024 under Allen. He has the speed and athleticism Allen craves in the secondary, running a 4.29-second 40-yard dash while squatting 560 pounds.

Old Dominion transfer Jerome Carter will be a major and early contributor for the Tigers. He was named Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2025 after a season where he was third on the team with 75 tackles and led the Sun Belt with six interceptions - an Old Dominion single-season record.

But 11 of Carter’s 75 total tackles came in the season opener against the future national champion, Indiana.

It may be a rebuilding year, but in this era of college football, that may be nonexistent. Especially for schools like Clemson, which has a long history of producing elite defenders, and that culture doesn't simply disappear with roster turnover.

Clemson's Weakness

Chris Johnson Jr. — Clemson running back Chris Johnson Jr (16) runs during the first half at the annnual Clemson Orange and White spring game at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Clemson's rushing yards per attempt in 2025 were 3.9 yards per rush, coming in at 105th nationally.

The Tigers made offseason moves that help them think it can be different this year. But it won't be.

Those additions include SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr., who was named one of ESPN's top-15 transfer portal fits. Johnson is described as one of the fastest players in college football. At SMU in 2025, he rushed for 479 yards and four touchdowns, averaging over seven yards per carry.

But the offensive line had some major losses in center Ryan Linthicum, guards Walker Parks and Rowan Byrne and, most importantly, tackles Tristan Leigh and Blake Miller.

Not a single transfer came in, so Clemson will be rolling with lots of inexperience at nearly every offensive line position.

Its running back can be one of the best in the country, but if there's no blocking for him, it'll be another long season of watching the run game fail for Clemson fans. Just look at LSU in 2025.

The Thing That Could Upset LSU

Dec 1, 2025; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The LSU offense will be so intriguing to watch in 2026. But that's not always a good thing.

Yes, it can be a top unit with transfers Sam Leavitt, Jordan Seaton and Eugene Wilson III leading the way, but for any team, piecing together an almost entirely new unit can easily lead to growing pains.

Another part of the challenge is that for all of the offensive staff, this is their first time being on this sideline in Death Valley. Now, being the home team in Baton Rouge is way easier, but every fan in that building will have all their eyes, and their lofty expectations, on the millions of dollars put into the staff and roster.

And that is intimidating.

Head coach Lane Kiffin has said during spring practice that the game is a long way away and admitted he hasn't thought much about that matchup yet.

“Really cool in that way to have an exciting premier program to open with at home," Kiffin said. "Not being on the road for a first game, that’s exciting, having never coached in here on the home side like many of our coaches. So, that’s exciting."

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