Clemson's offense faces a shake-up with a new coordinator and quarterback. Can Dabo Swinney reignite the Tigers' championship contention after a disappointing season?
After the outcome of the 2026 NFL Draft, it's clear the Clemson Tigers underachieved with the talent they had on the field last season.
A 7-6 record made Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney reconsider how he wanted to run his program. He attacked the transfer portal, landing quality defensive reinforcements.
On offense, he replaced offensive coordinator Garrett Riley with Chad Morris. Former Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia is taking over special teams, and he could be a huge boost to the coaching staff.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports ranked Clemson at No. 22 after spring football. He thinks Swinney will have to get the best out of his roster to even make that ranking during the season.
"This ranking is more a credit to Dabo Swinney's consistency rather than the talent on board," Crawford wrote. "What's old is new again at Clemson with Swinney sticking to what's familiar rather than stretching his boundaries.
"Christopher Vizzina steps in as the starting quarterback with coordinator Chad Morris returning after a decade away from Clemson. The defense won the spring game, with the first-teamers combining for nine sacks, but only two offensive starters were on the field. Tom Allen is calling plays for a second year."
Crawford's ranking should be a wake-up call for Swinney and Clemson. Frankly, the Tigers need to be competing with Miami for the ACC and should be a top-12 program fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
To put the ranking in perspective, Crawford has Florida at No. 23 under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall. The Tigers should be lightyears ahead of Florida, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
One thing to keep in mind is that the new offense was supposed to be a little behind the defense during the spring.
As Swinney noted, the new scheme is a little more complicated than the one Riley ran. Players were learning new terminology this spring.
The offense should start to gel during training camp this summer. If the offense can be competent with a solid defense, the Tigers should make a push for the CFP this fall.