Ahead of the 2026 college football season, I’ll be dropping my preseason power rankings for the five major teams in the Carolina, including Clemson, Duke, NC State, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Topping the list at No. 1 is the Clemson Tigers.
Suffering their worst season since 2010 after finishing 7-6, Clemson’s time as a national title contender appears to be done. However, there’s still plenty to like about the Tigers this season. Notably, head coach Dabo Swinney dipped into the transfer portal window to retool his roster. While high school recruiting will always be the lifeblood of Swinney’s program, the Tigers brought in program record 11 transfers this offseason.
Losing nine players to the NFL Draft, Clemson retooled with the portal more than ever this offseason. That started in the secondary where cornerback Elliott Washington II is projected to take over for Aveion Terrell, who was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. Washington’s success will be key for Clemson as an experienced outside corner who spent three years at Penn State. Already familiar with defensive coordinator Tom Allen from their time together with the Nittany Lions, Washington is the X factor that will determine how dangerous Clemson’s secondary is.
Joining Washington at corner is Ashton Hampton. Hampton is one of the ACC’s premier man coverage corners and will likely take on taller X receivers due to his size. Additionally, Hampton contributes in run defense and is more than willing to contribute on early downs. While not the fastest corner, if everything clicks for Hampton he has potential to earn himself a strong draft position after the season.
The Tigers also will likely start transfers at safety with Old Dominion’s Jerome Carter III and Southern Miss’ Corey Myrick. Setting a school record with six interceptions, Carter projects to be the Tigers ball hawk in the secondary. Meanwhile, Myrick broke out last season as a sophomore, finishing third in tackles for the Golden Eagles and should be a steady last line of defense this season.
Up front, the Tigers are replacing both Peter Woods and TJ Parker, both selected in the top 40 picks in the NFL Draft. Oklahoma transfer Markus Strong is the transfer most likely to fill Woods’ role. While only seeing limited action, Strong was an effective rotational pass rusher with three sacks from the inside that helped the Sooners earn a College Football Playoff bid. Meanwhile Jaheim Lawson, brother of former Clemson star Shaq Lawson, is set to fill an edge role in Parker’s spot.
One final name to know on the defensive line is defensive end Will Heldt. Last year Heldt posted 7.5 sacks and was a focal part of the Tigers’ pass rush. For Clemson to get back to winning double digit wins, Heldt will need to continue improving his game. I’d expect Heldt to get double teamed throughout the season, making it critical that Strong and Lawson take advantage and support Heldt in the pass rush.
At linebacker, Sammy Brown returns and is expected to be the straw that stirs the drink for the defense. A former five star prospect, Brown is a proven player who’s racked up at least 80 total tackles in each of his first two seasons with the Tigers. Brown is also a sneaky good pass rusher with 10 career sacks. I’d expect Brown to remain a force in run defense given his impressive speed while blitzing the quarterback in passing spots since Brown generally struggles in pass coverage.
Offensively, the biggest questions are at offensive coordinator and quarterback after Garrett Riley was dismissed and Cade Klubnik departed for the NFL. Last year’s offense grew stale and inconsistent, making a reset necessary. Head coach Dabo Swinney brought back former offensive coordinator Chad Morris as a familiar play caller. Meanwhile quarterback Christopher Vizzina is the most likely candidate to win the Tigers’ most pivotal position battle.
Much like his first stint at Clemson, I’d expect Morris to run an up tempo offense and take a large number of shots downfield. Vizzina fits the scheme well with a strong arm and ability to extend plays. While Vizzina’s experience is very limited, in his lone start last season the Birmingham native impressed against SMU with 317 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. My biggest concern with Vizzina is his tendency to hold onto the ball too long, which led to him taking four sacks against the Mustangs.
Surrounding Vizzina with playmakers, I expect Clemson’s offense to be sneaky good. The Tigers’ best transfer pickup was SMU’s Chris Johnson Jr. Much like his dad was with the Titans, Chris Johnson is lightning fast and will make life easier for the rest of the offense. The Tigers also have a trio of talented receivers, including Bryant Wesco Jr and TJ Moore on the outside and Tyler Brown in the slot. With plenty of pieces to work with, Vizzina is positioned to succeed.
If the offense doesn’t click this year, it will likely fall on the offensive line, which is breaking in multiple new starters. Most notably, offensive tackle Blake Miller left for the NFL and was selected by the Detroit Lions. Brayden Jacobs, a six-foot-seven monster on the line and son of two time Super Bowl champion running back Brandon Jacobs, will likely fill Miller’s spot. Meanwhile on the interior the Tigers will lean on Harris Sewell at center to lead from the inside. With 17 career starts, Sewell is by far the most experienced player on the line. Collin Sadler, another veteran presence, should provide help on the right side and is versatile enough to play guard or tackle.
Overall, I expect Clemson to bounce back to nine plus wins this season. While Vizzina is a wildcard, the Tigers have surrounded him with talent and a proven playcaller. Defensively, Clemson lost plenty of talent to the NFL, but by finally working the portal the unit has potential to be an effective group.