2026 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 5: Clemson
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This is the fifth edition of Miami Hurricanes on SI's breakdown of each team on the 2026-27 Miami Hurricanes football schedule.
Finally, in week five, Miami will reach the real meat and potatoes of its schedule in a date with the Clemson Tigers.
Weeks 1-4 shouldn't prove too trifling for a Miami team that has all the juice of one that didn't rebuild after last year's run to the national championship game, but one that reloaded through the portal and several other key additions up front.
That changes in week five, however, as a trip to Death Valley makes for the most intriguing and arguably pivotal portion of Miami's 2026 schedule. This is a new-look Clemson team, and after the Dabo Swinney magic has appeared to fade over the last few seasons, 2026 looks to be a litmus test for what the Tigers' future might look like.
Here's everything you need to know about what Clemson brings to the table this season, and what Miami has to do to counteract it.
The Offense
Prepare to be jumpscared if you didn't know already: Chad Morris is back at Clemson. Weird right?
Morris, in his first year returning as the Clemson OC, previously held the position from 2011-14, but it's been nearly a decade since he ran a competitive offense. To put it bluntly, the Tigers struggled on offense last year and hired Morris to help correct that issue. But will it work?
If history is to be taken into account, probably not. But that doesn't mean Swinney hasn't tried. After all, he brought in 10 transfers this cycle, which is far more than normal for a Clemson team since the NIL era began.
Morris's quarterback to start the season will most likely be Christopher Vizzina, who sat behind Cade Klubnik last year and saw limited action. Many predict that freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds could enter the picture, too, but throwing him to the wolves before the Miami matchup seems unlikely unless Vizzina can't play for whatever reason.
The running back room is solid as ever for the Tigers, who boast Gideon Davidson and SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr. (not that Chris Johnson) and will more than likely be the spearhead of Morris's offensive attack. That being said, the Clemson wide receiver room still has all the talent in the world, and it expects to get Bryant Wesco Jr. back into the fold early and often.
Defense
One area Tiger fans have always taken great pride in is on the defensive side of the gridiron. In the past few years, though, those efforts have been suspect at times. If 2026 is the year of a great reset in Death Valley, it's going to start up front, as Clemson must replace five of last year's top seven defensive linemen. That being said, the Tigers have the first bona fide star defensive lineman that the Hurricanes will face next year in Will Heldt, who, at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, is a menace in the pass game.
Outside of him, though, the Tigers will rely on a host of transfers to make an impact on defense, especially in the defensive backfield. A pair of transfer safeties (Corey Myrick of Southern Miss and Jerome Carter of Old Dominion) will anchor the group. However, with a stud linebacker corps of Sammy Brown and Kobe McCloud, the Tigers should be able to alleviate some of that pressure.
As imposing as the Hurricanes look to be up front, if the defensive line transfers for the Tigers don't pan out or enter the game half-cocked, Miami could walk into Death Valley and pound the Tigers into submission by the third quarter.
Schedule
With all signs pointing toward Miami entering this game 4-0, the Hurricanes should be the favorite, if only just. The Hurricanes get to catch the Tigers after a road trip to Cal, where no ACC team seems to play to its highest caliber. It's almost like flying across the country can take it out of you.
If the U wants to catch the Tigers by the Tail, its best bet is to score on its opening drive to establish itself, and simply drain the life out of them with the run game. The chances are that the Clemson defensive front will not yet have meshed, and the Miami run game should be too strong to stop, even with star linebackers meeting Mark Fletcher Jr. at the second level.
Clemson will enter this one off a tough road matchup, and Miami will make an easy trip up the East Coast following a cupcake game. The Hurricanes should steal a road win by at least one score, although head coach Mario Cristobal and company would more than likely prefer a greater differential.
Outlook
It feels as though the Dabo Swinney era is in its final stages at Clemson. The coach and program that were the ACC's silver bullet to any SEC argument for nearly a decade are not the same ones playing today. It's a different era of college football, and one of these teams adapted quickly while the other did not.
Miami should improve to 5-0 ahead of its in-state matchup against the Florida State Seminoles, who come into 2026 with something to prove.
The Game
Date: October 3
Time: TBA
TV: TBA
Location: Clemson, South Carolina
Series History: Tied 7-7
Last Meeting: 2023
The Team
The Coach: Dabo Swinney
Offensive Coordinator: Chad Morris
Defensive Coordinator: Tom Allen
2025 Record: 7-6
2025 Rankings: 72nd Total Offense, 30th Total Defense
Players to Watch: Sammy Brown, LB, Jr.
Top Newcomer: Chris Johnson Jr., SMU
Biggest Question: Did Dabo Swinney do enough to save his job this offseason?
The School
Location: Clemson, SC
Founded: November 27, 1889
Enrollment: 29,545
Nickname: The Tigers
Colors: Clemson Orange and Regalia (Purple)
Mascot: The Tiger
The Program
Last Win in the Series: 2022
Last ACC Title: 2024
National Championships: 1981, 2016, 2018
Playoff Appearances: 7
Last missed bowl season: 2004
Heisman Trophies: N/A
The Schedule
October 2, Time TBA, Miami Hurricanes @ Clemson Tigers
This is the fifth story in Miami Hurricanes on SI's early preview series of all 12 regular-season opponents for Miami football in 2026.
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Tanner Marlar is a contributing writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI who has covered collegiate athletics at the local and national levels for nearly a decade, including at Cowbell Country, Mississippi State On SI, Boston College On SI, and Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. As a former beat writer, Tanner strives to give thought provoking and exciting coverage to readers who want to know the very best current information about their team.
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