Clemson Football 2025 Preview

Cade Klubnik showed growth last year and now looks to lead Clemson back to the promised land (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)

The Clemson Tigers had become the standard for the ACC and a true national juggernaut under Dabo Swinney, reaching the 4-team CFP in 4 out of 5 years from ’15-19 including two national championships. Covid eligibility rules mixed with the beginning of the transfer portal and NIL era saw them come back to the pack. The last four seasons have ended with 3+ losses and an AP ranking outside the top 10, which hadn’t happened since ’14 and ’15, respectively. Dabo wasn’t made out for this new landscape and Clemson had lost its fastball. They backdoored their way into the ACC Championship Game then needed a 56-yard FG as time expired to sneak into the 12-team playoff. And yet, this feels like the most hype the Tigers have gotten in an offseason since DJU’s first year as the starter. But it’s warranted.

Cade Klubnik has steadily progressed over the last few years and now comes into 2025 as arguably the best QB in the country. His impressive freshman WR duo is a year older to help form their most talented group of pass catchers since 2019. The OL is deep and experienced while the starting DL might also be the best in college football, reminiscent of vintage dominant Tiger teams leading a defense that’s impressive at all three levels.

Offense:

Since the 2022 ACC Championship game, Cade Klubnik has started all 28 of Clemson’s games. He was NOT good in his first year as the starter and the opener against Georgia last season didn’t offer much hope he was going to improve. He proceeded to throw for 3,642 yards with 36 TDs and 6 INTs while rushing for 599 non-sack yards. After just 11 big-time throws to 18 turnover plays in ’23, he flipped that to 28 BTT and 13 TWP last season. If you want to try and point to the Georgia game, which feels light years ago, he starred against an even better Texas defense to close the year. Massive breakout campaign and he’s deservedly a Heisman favorite this year.

If there is one clear question mark on this roster, it’s what happens at RB with bell cow Phil Mafah graduating. The other four guys return but Mafah received 70% of the carries amongst scholarship backs. Clemson’s running back recruiting was pretty underwhelming for several years leaving them without a clear replacement. Jay Haynes was the # 2 with 43 car, 295 yds (6.9) and 3 TD, although is coming off an ACL tear in the CFP so will likely be eased into his workload as he’s yet to be fully cleared.

I’m looking for true freshman Gideon Davidson to immediately be a factor in this room coming in as their most heralded backfield recruit since Will Shipley. He’s known as a mature runner that knows how to set up blocks and run between the tackles, with decent speed but not enough to solely rely on (sort of like Mafah). Unless he is just head and shoulders above the returners from the get go, this likely turns into a committee approach, but Davidson has the talent to be the next great Clemson back.

Blue chip wideouts Bryant Wesco and TJ Moore both made immediate impacts last year as true freshmen, each with 40+ catches, 650+ yards and 5 TDs. Exciting playmakers should be even better as sophomores with another year alongside Klubnik. Veteran Antonio Williams returns off a career year where he caught 75 passes for 908 yards and 11 TDs (tied for 6^th nationally). A reliable target, Williams has brought in right at 75% of his targets in three seasons. Any three of him, Wesco or Moore could make a case for an All-American team.

1st Team All-ACC receiver Antonio Williams is back for a fourth season

Don’t forget Clemson also gets slot man Tyler Brown back, missing much of last season with a nagging injury after leading the team in receptions and yards as a true freshman in ’23. And if that’s not enough, Dabo Swinney shocked the world and actually went into the portal for immediate playable talent. 6’5” Tristan Smith had 76 rec, 929 yds and 6 TD at Southeast Missouri a year ago and rounds out a super impressive group. What was a weakness for several years post-2019 is now the best unit in the ACC and quite possibly the entire country. TE Jake Brinningstool does depart but Christian Bencantur was one of the most sought after high school TEs in the country in the ’23 class. Oh and 6’8” bruising power forward Ian Scheiffelin is going to try out the football thing after exhausting his eligibility in Littlejohn Coliseum. Could be a fun situational redzone target!

The offensive line returned 4 starters and 106 career starts in ’24 but was inconsistent and had to constantly shake up their group due to injuries, with only 1^st Tm All-ACC RT Blake Miller and Honorable Mention C Ryan Linthicum healthy all year. Both return as does just about everyone else (58 total starts last year), with only one primary starter departing. Even accounting for the injuries this unit still ranked 16^th in line yards per rush. With better health and 10 playable guys this is one of the top offensive lines in the ACC.

Defense:

Last year’s defense was good not great, definitely leaving room for improvement. They ranked just 69^th in total defense and 111^th in Explosiveness allowed. Tom Allen joins the staff as DC and will work to get those numbers down. He’s got a super deep and talented defensive line to build around led by T.J. Parker (64 tkl, 11 sk, 8.5 TFL) and Peter Woods (32 tkl, 3 sk, 5.5 TFL). Sixth year senior DeMonte Capehart (27 tkl, 6 starts) will line up on the interior next to Woods with Purdue transfer Will Heldt (56 tkl, 5 sk, 10 TFL) at the other DE position. There are 3 high draft picks in that lineup and there will be more depth behind them than in year’s past.

DE TJ Parker (3) and DT Peter Woods (11) headline a stacked defensive line (Photo: Rich Von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire, Getty)

Clemson’s two leading tacklers Wade Woodaz and Sammy Brown return to man the middle of the defense. I’m expecting big strides from the Freshman All-American and ACC ROTY Brown in his second college season to become one of the best middle linebackers in the country. The senior Woodaz has consistently seen an increased role in each of his 3 seasons and should be as solid as they come in his 2^nd year as a full-time starter. As long as these two stay healthy, they won’t come off the field much in Tom Allen’s 4-2-5 scheme and are a formidable duo. Jeremiah Alexander (Alabama) was the only other transfer brought in and the former 5-star recruit will factor into the rotation.

Avieon Terrell and Khalil Barnes return to lead the secondary. They both gained valuable starting experience as true freshmen (Barnes was a Fr All-American) before breaking out as full-time starters last year, combining for 119 tkl, 15 PBU and 6 INT. Jaedyn Lukus started the first 10 games at the corner opposite Terrell with Ashton Hampton starting the last 4. Both are back and figure one to see time at Nickel, likely Hampton. S RJ Mickens is certainly a big loss after getting drafted in the 6^th round, but the Tigers have highly touted Ricardo Jones ready to step in after a good showing in 184 snaps as a true freshman.

Special Teams:

Clemson has their kicker position locked up through 2027 in Nolan Hauser after an impressive true freshman campaign. The protection in front of him was suspect leading to 6 blocked kicks, which made his numbers from under 30 yards imperfect (8/10), but he has a big leg which was evident by his 56-yard walk off in the ACC Championship game to make it to the CFP. They will have to replace a 3-year starter at punter; 6’5” 245lb grad junior Jack Smith steps into that role after backing up all those years. Antonio Williams is as sure handed as they come at PR and Jay Haynes resumes KR duties, but neither provided much spark in those roles.

Nolan Hauser (81) burst onto the scene as a true freshman with this 56-yard game-winning FG to send Clemson to the CFP (Photo: Allie Lawhon / ACC)

Schedule:

With two ranked SEC teams in the non-conference, games against Louisville and SMU while playing NONE of my projected bottom 5 teams in the ACC… this is about as tough a schedule you’re going to find in the ACC (aside from Syracuse). LSU on Labor Day weekend in the battle for Death Valley is a banger. Week 3 in Atlanta is a tough task as Georgia Tech will be a fringe top 25 and clipped Miami there last year. If they start 4-0 headed in to the bye then 11-1 is absolutely on the table, but the 3-game stretch in between their byes at UNC, at Boston College and a home ACC championship rematch against SMU could be dicey to navigate if they’re not careful. Then they close the season with road games at Louisville and South Carolina in two of the final three weeks.

Overall Outlook:

It’s not necessarily national championship or bust for a program that hasn’t been at that point for several years. However, this is the deepest, most talented and complete team Dabo has had since Trevor Lawrence was the QB. The schedule is certainly challenging, but they have the roster to handle it and shouldn’t be sneaking into the playoffs this year. With a Heisman contender at QB and several position groups that rank top 5 nationally, the ceiling for Clemson is back where we’re used to seeing it. Considering every team in the country has some sort of major question mark, this is certainly a national title contender.