Where Clemson lands in 247Sports college football preseason AP Top 25 projection

The 2024 season is crucial for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers as they look to reestablish themselves among college football’s elite.

Once the dominant force in the ACC, Clemson has faced challenges in adapting to the sport’s evolving landscape, particularly in the NIL era. Despite recent struggles, Clemson still has a wealth of talent and potential.

This season could be a turning point if the Tigers can capitalize on their strengths. Many believe Clemson has the pieces in place to be better than last year, with a lot of key players returning and an offense poised for improvement. However, a few things will need to go their way for everything to fall into place.

There’s a strong case that the Tigers are entering 2024 with a better squad than last season, but that fact hasn’t been widely recognized yet. If all goes well, Clemson could surprise a lot of people this year. Things have changed of late, though, as the Tigers ranked No. 13 in the preseason Coaches Poll, a bit higher than many expected.

247Sports recently released their preseason AP Top 25 projections , with Clemson landing with the same rank of No. 13.

Two-time national champion Dabo Swinney is not concerning himself with preseason rankings or where his Tigers are slotted in the ACC this fall. The only focus is winning the conference and getting back to the playoff for the first time in several years. His defense will be elite within the front seven, but how far this team goes likely depends on Cade Klubnik and his abilities at quarterback. Given the rise of Florida State and Miami in the projected AP rankings, it feels like Clemson is playing with house money wherever the Tigers land inside the preseason top 20.

I agree a lot with the last sentence. The Tigers are playing with house money here. Two losses and I feel confident they make the College Football Playoff.