
Clemson Tigers
ACC
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #34
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- 9.5 (#34)
- SP+ Offense
- 27.5
- SP+ Defense
- 18.9
- SRS
- 6.2
- FPI
- 9.4
- Elo
- 1755
- Talent
- 918
- Recruiting
- —
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
8.0p10 6.0 — p90 10.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 3.0% | |
| Make CFP | 5.9% | |
| Quarterfinal | 1.6% | |
| Semifinal | 0.4% | |
| Natl. final | 0.1% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.0% |
Schedule
proj record 8.3–3.7
Schedule
62nd
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
85th
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
62nd
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+ · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @LSU | +10.3 | 23-26 | -2.9 | 42% | — |
| 2 | vsGeorgia Southern | -9.4 | 36-14 | +22.5 | 94% | — |
| 3 | vsNorth Carolina | -6.6 | 35-14 | +21.4 | 93% | — |
| 4 | @California | -3.2 | 32-23 | +8.8 | 74% | — |
| 5 | vsMiami | +20.7 | 21-28 | -6.7 | 32% | — |
| 7 | vsCharleston Southern | FCS | 46-3* | +43.2 | 100% | — |
| 8 | vsVirginia Tech | -10.1 | 33-20 | +13.2 | 83% | — |
| 9 | @Florida State | +7.2 | 24-29 | -4.9 | 37% | — |
| 10 | @Syracuse | -13.1 | 36-20 | +15.7 | 87% | — |
| 11 | vsGeorgia Tech | +9.3 | 28-22 | +5.7 | 66% | — |
| 12 | @Duke | +6.6 | 28-25 | +3.5 | 60% | — |
| 13 | vsSouth Carolina | +5.9 | 27-22 | +4.2 | 62% | — |
* FBS-vs-FCS estimate from the SP+ gap — no per-game model for FCS opponents.
Quarterbacks · 3
2026 · 67
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Christopher Vizzina | SO | 6'4" | 210 | ★★★★ |
| QB | 2nd | Chris Denson | FR | 6'2" | 190 | ★★★ |
| QB | 3rd | Trent Pearman | JR | 6'0" | 195 | — |
Running Backs · 3
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Chris Johnson Jr.← SMU | SO | 6'0" | 184 | ★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Gideon Davidson | FR | 6'0" | 200 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 3rd | David Eziomume | FR | 6'0" | 215 | ★★★★ |
Wide Receivers · 11
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | T.J. Moore | SO | 6'3" | 200 | ★★★★★ |
| WR | 2nd | Bryant Wesco Jr. | SO | 6'2" | 185 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Tyler Brown | SO | 5'11" | 185 | — |
| WR | 4th | Tristan Smith | SR | 6'5" | 205 | — |
| WR | 5th | Cole Turner | JR | 6'1" | 185 | ★★★ |
| WR | 6th | Clark Sanderson | FR | 5'9" | 175 | — |
| WR | 7th | Chase Byrd | FR | 5'10" | 185 | — |
| WR | 8th | Juju Preston | FR | 6'0" | 165 | — |
| WR | 9th | Tristan Martinez | SO | 5'9" | 180 | — |
| WR | — | Zach Jackson | JR | 6'3" | 215 | — |
| WR | — | Jaylen Brown-Wallace← Wingate | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Tight Ends · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Christian Bentancur | FR | 6'4" | 240 | ★★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Olsen Patt-Henry | JR | 6'3" | 240 | ★★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Ian Schieffelin | SR | 6'8" | 265 | — |
| TE | 4th | Banks Pope | SR | 6'4" | 250 | ★★★ |
| TE | 5th | Logan Brooking | FR | 6'4" | 235 | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 2
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Collin Sadler | JR | 6'6" | 310 | ★★★★ |
| OL | — | Brayden Jacobs | FR | 6'7" | 350 | ★★★★ |
Defensive Line · 15
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE | 1st | Will Heldt | JR | 6'6" | 260 | ★★★ |
| DE | 2nd | Jahiem Lawson | JR | 6'2" | 250 | ★★★ |
| DE | 3rd | Cade Denhoff | SR | 6'5" | 260 | ★★★★ |
| DE | 4th | Darien Mayo | FR | 6'7" | 270 | ★★★★ |
| DE | 5th | Ari Watford | FR | 6'5" | 245 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 1st | Devarrick Woods← Texas State | JR | 6'3" | 290 | ★★★ |
| DL | 2nd | Markus Strong← Oklahoma | SO | 6'3" | 297 | ★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Caden Story | JR | 6'3" | 285 | ★★★★ |
| DL | — | Kourtney Kelly← West Georgia | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| DT | 1st | Vic Burley | SO | 6'4" | 320 | ★★★★ |
| DT | 2nd | Amare Adams | FR | 6'4" | 310 | ★★★★★ |
| DT | 3rd | Champ Thompson | FR | 6'3" | 290 | ★★★ |
| DT | 4th | Hevin Brown-Shuler | FR | 6'3" | 315 | ★★★★ |
| EDGE | 1st | London Merritt← Colorado | FR | 6'3" | 250 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | — | CJ Wesley← Howard | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Sammy Brown | SO | 6'2" | 235 | ★★★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Jeremiah Alexander | JR | 6'2" | 230 | ★★★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Kobe McCloud | JR | 5'11" | 225 | ★★★ |
| LB | 4th | Fletcher Cothran | JR | 6'3" | 225 | — |
| LB | 5th | Joseph Roberto II | FR | 6'2" | 225 | — |
| LB | 6th | Drew Woodaz | FR | 6'2" | 215 | ★★★ |
Defensive Backs · 15
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Ashton Hampton | SO | 6'2" | 200 | ★★★ |
| CB | 2nd | Elliot Washington II← Penn State | JR | 5'11" | 199 | ★★★ |
| CB | 3rd | Jeadyn Lukus | SR | 6'2" | 200 | ★★★★★ |
| CB | 4th | Branden Strozier | SO | 6'1" | 180 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 5th | Corian Gipson | FR | 6'1" | 190 | ★★★★ |
| CB | — | Donovan Starr← Auburn | FR | 5'11" | 182 | ★★★ |
| DB | 1st | Ronan Hanafin | JR | 6'3" | 215 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 2nd | Misun Kelley | SO | 5'9" | 190 | ★★★ |
| S | 1st | Corey Myrick← Southern Miss | SO | 6'3" | 200 | ★★★ |
| S | 2nd | Kylon Griffin | JR | 5'11" | 200 | — |
| S | 3rd | Tyler Venables | SR | 5'11" | 205 | — |
| S | 4th | Rob Billings | SO | 6'2" | 205 | ★★★★ |
| S | 5th | Jakarrion Kenan | FR | 6'1" | 190 | ★★★ |
| S | 6th | Noah Dixon | FR | 6'1" | 195 | ★★★★ |
| S | — | Jerome Carter III← Old Dominion | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Special Teams · 7
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS | 1st | Philip Florenzo | SR | 6'2" | 240 | — |
| P | 1st | Jack Smith | JR | 6'5" | 240 | — |
| P | 2nd | Will McCune | JR | 6'1" | 220 | — |
| PK | 1st | Nolan Hauser | SO | 6'1" | 190 | ★★★ |
| PK | 2nd | Charlie Reed | FR | 6'3" | 205 | — |
| PK | 3rd | Robert Gunn III | JR | 6'0" | 180 | ★★★ |
| PK | — | Quinn Castner | SR | 5'5" | 145 | — |
Season History · last 12
5 AP top-10 · 12 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7-5 | 4-4 | #34 | #4 | 0-1 |
| 2024 | 10-3 | 8-1 | #22 | #9 | 0-1 |
| 2023 | 8-4 | 4-4 | #22 | #9 | 1-0 |
| 2022 | 11-2 | 9-0 | #13 | #4 | 0-1 |
| 2021 | 9-3 | 6-2 | #8 | #3 | 1-0 |
| 2020 | 10-1 | 9-1 | #4 | — | 0-1 |
| 2019 | 13-0 | 9-0 | #4 | — | 1-1 |
| 2018 | 13-0 | 9-0 | #3 | — | 2-0 |
| 2017 | 12-1 | 8-1 | #5 | — | 0-1 |
| 2016 | 12-1 | 8-1 | #2 | — | 2-0 |
| 2015 | 13-0 | 9-0 | #4 | — | 1-1 |
| 2014 | 9-3 | 6-2 | #18 | — | 1-0 |
Recruiting Classes
avg #11 · 153 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★210 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #26 | 227 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| 2024 | #11 | 272 | 2 | 10 | 8 |
| 2023 | #11 | 273 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| 2022 | #10 | 261 | 2 | 8 | 7 |
| 2021 | #5 | 291 | 3 | 15 | 2 |
| 2020 | #3 | 310 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
| 2019 | #10 | 276 | 1 | 12 | 6 |
| 2018 | #7 | 284 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
| 2017 | #16 | 239 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
| 2016 | #11 | 271 | 1 | 12 | 4 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 11net -4Out 15
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.0 / 3.2
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Markus Strong | DL | 3★ | ← Oklahoma |
| ▲ | London Merritt | EDGE | 3★ | ← Colorado |
| ▲ | Chris Johnson Jr. | RB | 3★ | ← SMU |
| ▲ | Donovan Starr | CB | 3★ | ← Auburn |
| ▼ | Stephiylan Green | DL | 4★ | → LSU |
| ▼ | Marquise Henderson | RB | 4★ | → Samford |
| ▼ | Caden Story | DL | 4★ | → — |
| ▼ | Ricardo Jones | S | 3★ | → Vanderbilt |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- Clemson spending upwards of $30 million on its football rosterThe amount of money it takes to build an elite college football roster is anyone’s guess, though we can safely say that NC State doesn’t have that kind of money on hand. And almost certainly never will, unless a billionaire benefactor materializes from thin air. What are the major football powers spending these days? Clemson […]CLEM6h
- Clemson Tigers Add RJ Hudson to 2027 Recruiting ClassClemson received the commitment of Raymond “RJ” Hudson, a 3-star linebacker from Virginia who also had offers from Penn State, Maryland, and Virginia Tech. He is the third linebacker in the recruiting class joining LB Bryce Kish — the defensive headliner — and Max Brown — a heat seeking missile who knifes through blockers to […]CLEM6h
- Social media reacts to Clemson landing an elite 2027 safety over GeorgiaHere’s a look at how social media reacted to Clemson landing one of the best defensive backs in the 2027 class over Kirby Smart and Georgia.CLEM1d
- Where Clemson lands in 2027 recruiting rankings after massive commitmentClemson football’s 2027 recruiting class is looking that much better with their latest commitment.CLEM1d
- 4-star safety announces commitment decision between Georgia, ClemsonFour-star safety Jayden Aparicio-Bailey chose Clemson over Georgia, picking the Tigers after a competitive recruitment.CLEM1d
- Four-Star Clemson Target Pushes Commitment Date Back; New Date TBDA former Clemson commit with 50+ offers just pushed his commitment date back, and has yet to detail a new one. As it stands, the Tigers remain the favorite.CLEM1d
- Jayden Aparicio-Bailey Commits to Clemson Tigers 2027 Class Over Georgia FootballThe Georgia Bulldogs have missed out on a massive 2027 recruit, as he announces his commitment to Clemson's class.CLEM1d
- Clemson lands one of the best safeties in the 2027 class over GeorgiaClemson lands one of the top safeties in the country over Georgia as the Tigers continue to stack talented players in the 2027 class.CLEM1d
- Clemson Tigers Land Longtime Defensive Back Target Over GeorgiaAfter over a year of heavy recruiting, Clemson lands a consensus four-star Alabama defensive back who chose the Tigers over the Georgia Bulldogs.CLEM2d
- Clemson Beats out Georgia for Blue Chip SafetyThe Tigers won out on yet another highly-sought after 2027 recruit. Jayden Aparicio-Bailey from Prattville, AL about 90 mins from Tuscaloosa and Auburn (but originally from California) narrowed his finalists to Georgia and Clemson before ultimately picking the Tigers. He joins S Jarrell Chandler, S Harrison Luke, CB Bryant Robinson, and CB PJ Chancellor as […]CLEM2d
- From 50-50 to all in: 4-star DB Jayden Aparicio-Bailey picks Clemson over GeorgiaClemson won one of the summer’s closest recruiting battles. Four-star defensive back Jayden Aparicio-Bailey of Prattville (Ala.) committed to Dabo Swinney and the Tigers over Georgia. The No. 117 prospect in the Rivals300 admitted the Bulldogs held the edge for much of the spring, but Clemson’s official visit on May 29 shifted the momentum and […]CLEM2d
- Clemson target, former commit pushes back commitment date after prayerSeth Williams will have Clemson waiting even longer as he pushes back his commitment date.CLEM2d
- Which Clemson Tigers Could Join Morgan Wallen in Concert Walkout?With the country superstar heading to Death Valley this weekend, here are some candidates who could get a nod.CLEM3d
- Four-Star Linebacker, Clemson Target Commits ElsewhereDespite getting traction away from the program in past weeks, a four-star linebacker decided to go to an SEC school on Thursday.CLEM3d
- Ranking Dabo Swinney's 5 Best Regular-Season Wins at ClemsonFrom Lamar Jackson to Notre Dame, these are the best wins Swinney has earned with the Clemson Tigers.CLEM4d
- 2026 ACC Kickoff Attendees Revealed For Clemson FootballThere's a key omission in the players that Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney typically brings.CLEM4d
- See Where Clemson Tigers Stack Up in College Football 27 RatingsWith the new college football video game coming out later this summer, here's where the rankings revealed head coach Dabo Swinney's program for next season.CLEM5d
- Clemson receives prediction for four-star OL Reece WilmesClemson received a prediction from On3’s Derek Young to land 2028 four-star offensive tackle Reece Wilmes, the brother of freshman Braden Wilmes.CLEM5d
- Clemson defensive line target commits elsewhere, Tigers swing and missDabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff fought, but failed to land a priority defensive line target.CLEM6d
- Clemson offers elite 2028 safety, Top 100 recruit in the countryDabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff are sending out offers in the 2028 class, with one of the best defensive backs in the country now offered.CLEM6d