Clemson ranks Top 15 in Athlon Sports ranking of 134 FBS teams

Athlon Sports released its annual ranking of all 134 FBS teams ahead of the 2024 college football season Monday.

Clemson checked in at No. 15, one spot above Oklahoma and one below Utah. Both the Sooners and Utes are playing in new conferences this season; Utah joined the Big 12 after the Pac-12’s collapse last summer while Oklahoma’s long-awaited jump to the SEC (with Texas) became official on July 1.

The Tigers’ ranking on Athlon’s list is three spots below Florida State at No. 12 and five spots ahead of Miami at No. 20 among the top ACC teams.

While noting that Dabo Swinney’s program has slipped a bit in recent years (the Tigers last made the College Football Playoff in 2020), Athlon’s Steven Lassan believes that Clemson is still in a position to return to the top of the ACC.

Per Lassan:

For Swinney’s team to win the conference and return to the CFB Playoff, jumpstarting the offense is the top offseason priority. Under new coordinator Garrett Riley, the Tigers averaged only 23.6 points in ACC contests last year. Another offseason for the personnel to develop under Riley should be a positive, and quarterback Cade Klubnik is poised to take a step forward in his progression. Phil Mafah should be one of the ACC’s top running backs, and the line brings back four starters for ’24. Better play from the receivers is needed for Klubnik to reach his potential – which could come in the form of true freshman Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore.

On the defensive side of the ball, Hassan believes that Wes Goodwin’s unit isn’t a true concern heading into 2024.

Although the defense returns only two starters, the concerns about this group are minimal. T.J. Parker and Peter Woods are two rising stars in the trenches, and linebacker Barrett Carter passed on the NFL for one more season at Clemson. Rising star cornerback Avieon Terrell and safety R.J. Mickens lead the way in the secondary.

Georgia edged Ohio State as the No. 1 team in Athlon’s preseason rankings.

Clemson opens the season August 31 against the Bulldogs at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon ET. The game will be televised nationally by ABC.

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