How Much Trouble is Clemson Actually in Heading Into 2026?

The Clemson Tigers just completed a disastrous 2025 campaign in which they went just 7-6 in spite of entering the season with national championship aspirations.

Just about nothing went right for Clemson this past season.

Cade Klubnik fell off a cliff, wide receiver Antonio Williams took a big step back and star defenders such as defensive tackle Peter Woods and edge rusher T.J. Parker regressed considerably.

To make matters worse, the Tigers have lost Klubnik, Williams, Woods, Parker and numerous other key contributors — like cornerback Avieon Terrell and defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart — to the NFL Draft.

So if Clemson barely finished over .500 with those guys in 2025, how much worse will it be for Dabo Swinney and Co. in 2026?

The Tigers have questions all over the place.

Swinney refused to address the quarterback situation in the transfer portal, instead relying on Christopher Vizzina — who apparently isn't inspiring much confidence — to hold down the fort. Clemson also failed to repair its offensive line.

The Tigers only added one key weapon in the portal, landing former SMU running back Chris Johnson Jr., who could ultimately serve as Adam Randall's replacement.

And as far as recruiting is concerned, Clemson does not have the oomph it once had in that department. Gone are the days when five-star prospects flocked to Clemson. The NIL era has completely changed that.

It begs the question: just how much trouble are the Tigers in going into 2026?

Clemson was once of the most dominant programs in the country not even a decade ago. It made four National Championship Game appearances between 2015 and 2019, winning two titles. It posted 12 straight doubled-digit win campaigns between 2011 and 2022. It cycled through elite quarterbacks like water.

But yet, here we are just seven years after their last trip to the national championship, and Vizzina appears to be the Tigers' answer under center.

While Vizzina is a former four-star recruit, he is being viewed as a game manager, which was certainly not the case with stars like Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence and Klubnik. So what's the deal?

And outside of T.J. Moore, does Clemson have a single playmaker that genuinely strikes fear into any opponent?

Defensively, the Tigers also look like they are teetering on catastrophe. While big names like Sammy Brown, Will Heldt and Ashton Hampton are still around, Clemson didn't really do enough to replace all of its departing stars.

Losing both Woods and Capehart up the middle is devastating, and it also watched as both starting safeties left.

It just seems hard to ever see the Tigers getting back to where they once were, and we are now even at a point where some feel that Swinney is on the hot seat.

Hopefully, Clemson surprises all of us next fall, but it's not looking good at the moment.

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