Dabo Swinney's Clemson program faces a critical 2026. Can sweeping staff changes and new talent overcome last season's struggles and looming questions?
In 2025, Clemson was expected to be a contender in the College Football Playoff after a strong finish to the 2024 campaign.
Instead, the Tigers fell to 7-6, watching as Miami became the beast in the ACC.
To his credit, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney decided to make sweeping changes to the program. He took a more aggressive approach in the transfer portal. He fired offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and brought back Chad Morris.
Still, it remains to be seen how effective those changes will be for the upcoming season. Miami looks ready to win the ACC after making the CFP national championship in January.
ESPN's Andrea Adelson argued that Clemson has the most to prove in 2026.
"We could have put Clemson down as the answer to this question for the past four years, but this time we really mean it," Adelson wrote. "There is no sugarcoating the disappointment from 2025, when the Tigers finished 7-6 despite having a veteran team filled with future NFL draft picks...
"There are major questions across the board with so many veterans gone. Swinney and his players need to show they have the answers."
Swinney is hoping that 2025 will be an aberration of his career at Clemson, and the start of a serious decline for his tenure with the program.
After leading the Tigers to two national titles, Swinney deserves some benefit of the doubt.
With that being said, most of Swinney's success came before the transfer portal and NIL came to dominate the sport. He's woefully behind how blue blood programs like Ohio State have adapted to those changes.
A 7-6 campaign probably won't be tolerated for 2026. Clemson is paying Swinney too much money to have a program that is in the middle of the pack in the ACC.
Swinney will have plenty of talent on the roster to compete for an ACC championship. While there are questions, especially at quarterback, the defense should be elite after adding nine key transfers this offseason.
Morris, who hasn't called plays since 2020, will need to shake off the rust early if the program hopes to be playing serious football in January.