National outlet projects Top 10 offense and defense for Clemson in 2025

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A top-10-rated offense or defense will take a team a long way.

Having both could mean your team is elite, and that's what 247Sports projects for the 2025 Clemson Tigers.

247Sports calls for Clemson to have the No. 4 overall offense:

Best returning offensive player: Cade Klubnik, QB

Biggest offseason departures: Phil Mafah, RB; Jake Briningstool, TE

Top roster addition: Tristan Smith, WR (Southeast Missouri State)

Not only does Clemson possess the top returning quarterback in college football for 2025, but the Tigers also boast the most talented wideout room in the ACC with Antonio Williams, T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. Moore and Wesco starred as true freshmen last fall, finally providing Clemson with premiere-level athletes at the position the program hadn't seen since Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross. Klubnik has an opportunity to take this offense to new heights next fall as a Heisman candidate with Garrett Riley calling the shots.

Three more 2024 CFP teams occupy the spots ahead of Clemson with Ohio State, Texas and Penn State.

Clemson is slated to face No. 6 on the list, LSU, to open the season in Clemson on August 30. Potential ACC Championship foe Miami is No. 8 and mid-October home opponent SMU is No. 9.

Defensively, there are high expectations for Tom Allen's new unit.

"The move from Penn State to Clemson was a surprising one at the time for defensive coordinator Tom Allen, but it is highly welcome for the Tigers, who need to make a big leap on that side of the ball in order to return to national championship contention. The run-stopping unit was a particular weakness in 2024 and the primary reason for their early playoff exit. Dabo Swinney paid Allen a hefty amount of money to revitalize the unit, and that is well within his capabilities after an elite debut season with the Nittany Lions. The talent is already in the cupboard for Clemson, too, with Wade Woodaz, Sammy Brown, T.J. Parker and Peter Woods bringing back a combined 51 tackles for loss and 22 sacks," 247Sports' Carter Bahns writes.

Clemson's top-rated offense wouldn't face any of the other Top 10 defenses until a potential Playoff appearance.

Showing maybe a concentration of power next year, the Tigers are one of six teams to have a unit on both lists, along with Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, Oregon and Alabama.

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