Clemson moves up into 247Sports preseason Top 15

Tyler Brown and the Tigers aren't seen as far off from the preseason ACC favorite Florida State Seminoles.

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Sunday, August 04 2024

Clemson moved up two spots in the 247Sports college football rankings, landing in the Top 15 tier ahead of the action starting later this month.

Dabo Swinney's Tigers checked in at No. 14 overall.

"Clemson sits just inside the top 15 ready to pounce on several ranked foes," 247Sports' Brad Crawford said. "Dabo Swinney could see his stock significantly rise if his Tigers take out Georgia and NC State during the opening month of the season, which would almost ensure his program is going 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."

The Top 4 remained unchanged with Big Ten and SEC stalwarts Ohio State and Georgia Nos. 1 and 2 -- followed by SEC and Big Ten newcomers Texas and Oregon, respectively.

Ole Miss rounds out the Top 5.

Florida State leads the ACC, but it is listed just one spot ahead of Clemson.

"Can another transfer-laden roster lead to a conference championship for the Seminoles under Mike Norvell?" Crawford asked. "That's the plan as the ACC's predicted champion. Florida State comes just ahead of another league team in our preseason poll, but has fallen two spots from its post-spring debut just outside of the top 10. That's not an indictment on the Seminoles, but more indicative of the two programs that moved up this summer. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is on his third team in three years and he's hoping 2024 is his best season yet as a collegian."

Miami (16), NC State (22) and Virginia Tech (24) are the other ACC reps, with Louisville also getting votes.

Based on the ranking, the 12-team CFP would be Ohio State, Georgia, Florida State, Utah (last champion bye), Ole Miss, Texas, Oregon, Alabama, Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan and Liberty (Group of 5 champ spot).