The Clemson Tigers have received one of the most disrespectful predictions imaginable.
The Clemson Tigers were one of the most disappointing teams in the country last season, as they entered the campaign with national championship aspirations but ended up going 7-6 and losing to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Naturally, people are a bit down on Clemson at this point.
The Tigers have not won a playoff game since January 2021, and Dabo Swinney has lost considerable luster since his remarkable run of four National Championship Game appearances — featuring two wins — between 2015 and 2019.
In fact, Stewart Mandel of The Athletic recently released his ACC projections for the 2026 campaign, and he has Clemson finishing ninth with a 6-6 overall record and a 4-4 record in conference play.
"Once a program reaches the heights Clemson did from 2015-2020, people just kind of assume they’re 'still talented,'" Mandel wrote. "Well, the Tigers had nine draft picks last season and went 7-6. They’ve gone 4-4 in conference play two of the past three seasons. Expect more of the same."
I mean, they are still talented.
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney. Credit: USA TODAY Network.Yes, Clemson barely finished above .500 last season in spite of putting nine players into the NFL Draft, but one can also argue that a whole lot of weird things went wrong for the Tigers in 2025.
Can a lot go wrong for Clemson his fall, as well? Sure, but to pretend that this isn't a talented group is just disingenuous.
The Tigers have multiple potential first-round talents on both sides of the ball. Wide receivers T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco comprise possible Day 1 picks offensively. Defensively, linebacker Sammy Brown, cornerback Ashton Hampton and defensive end Will Heldt are all potential first-rounders, as well.
Clemson is also loaded with depth in its receiving corps, which features returning upper classmen Tyler Brown and Tristan Smith not to mention a trio of four-star freshmen in Naeem Burroughs, Gordon Sellars and Connor Salmin.
Additionally, the Tigers plucked speedy former SMU running back Chris Johnson Jr. — who will be paired with Gideon Davidson in the backfield — in the transfer portal, and while there are plenty of fair questions surrounding quarterback Christopher Vizzina, he is still a former four-star recruit with immense talent.
Couple all of that with the fact that Clemson has a very easy schedule outside of meetings with LSU and Miami, and the Tigers should at least win eight games in 2026. A double-digit win season is not out of the question.
I get the trepidation surrounding Clemson. But predicting Swinney's squad to finish ninth in the ACC just seems like overkill.
