The Clemson Tigers' defensive line has landed a bold ranking ahead of the 2026 season.
The Clemson Tigers are desperately in need of a bounce-back season after finishing with a 7-6 record and losing in the Pinstripe Bowl to Penn State in 2025.
Dabo Swinney's team was expected to be a contender for the College Football Playoff and to win the ACC, but they struggled.
However, one bright spot for the Tigers in the 2025 season was their defensive line. Clemson had Peter Woods, T.J. Parker, and DeMonte Capehart all get selected in the 2026 NFL Draft and still has Will Heldt.
It was a loaded defensive line that, unfortunately, wasn't enough to lead the team to a successful year.
Despite the key losses, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy ranked the Tigers' defense as the fourth-best heading into the 2026 season.
"For many programs, that would not just be subtraction — that's a detonation," McElroy said. "And yet here we are, talking about Clemson being in the top four again. Because this is what Dabo Swinney does."
Heldt will be the key for the Tigers and is coming off a career year. He finished with 46 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
"It just keeps running, because Will Heldt continues to do amazing things," McElroy said. "He's outstanding, and a guy that plays the game with a bit of a chip on his shoulder."
The Tigers will also lean on Jahiem Lawson, London Merritt, and others to step into bigger roles.
The defensive line's production will be pivotal to Clemson's success. Despite a disappointing 2025 season, the Tigers had nine players selected in the NFL Draft, a major loss of talent.
Swinney also made some changes to the coaching staff, bringing in Chad Morris for his second stint as the offensive coordinator at Clemson and Rich Bisaccia as the special teams coordinator.
The Tigers have some talented players on their roster, like Heldt, who can disrupt games and help the team improve drastically in 2026.
If Heldt has another good season, he could establish himself as one of the top pass rushers in the 2027 NFL Draft.
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