National outlet ranks Clemson No. 2 preseason |
Brandon Rink
· · Tuesday, June 03 2025
The talent on Clemson's 2025 football team is highly regarded, and Dabo Swinney has already produced four teams that made the sport's final two.
College Sports Network sees his Tigers in that tier this year as well, ranking Clemson No. 2 in its preseason power rankings, trailing only Ohio State. "Klubnik is one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and a supporting cast of experienced offensive linemen and talented wide receivers should allow him to power a high-scoring offense," CSN's Oliver Hodgkinson writes. "Yet, it’s on the defensive side of the ball where things get really exciting, with playmakers from front to back, led by T.J. Parker, Peter Woods, and Avieon Terrell, who are all among the best at their position." The same outlet has Klubnik going No. 1 overall in next year's NFL draft, joined in the first round by Tigers in Parker (3), Woods (6) and Terrell (13), and more Day 2 picks expected from Antonio Williams (46), Blake Miller (69), DeMonte Capehart (71) and Tristan Leigh (74). The power rankings Top 5 is Ohio State, Clemson, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame. The next scheduled Clemson foe to be ranked is South Carolina, at No. 8. "A program on the rise under head coach Shane Beamer, the South Carolina Gamecocks have a legitimate shot at being one of the best teams in the SEC (and the country) this fall. Although they lost secondary superstar Nick Emmanwori to the NFL, the defense is just as talented as the unit that ranked 12th in the nation, with 18.1 points per game allowed during a standout 2024 campaign," Hodgkinson said. "Meanwhile, LaNorris Sellers has Heisman Trophy potential leading the Gamecocks’ offense if Jared Brown and Nyck Harbor step up this fall. Avoiding Georgia and Texas on the 2025 schedule could be key to an SEC title run." SMU is another '25 opponent in the Top 10, at No. 10. "The Mustangs return enough talent to repeat the success of their inaugural ACC campaign. Kevin Jennings’ dual threat under center makes the offense exciting and unpredictable, while RJ Maryland is back after missing the 2024 campaign with injury," Hodgkinson said. Not in the upper tier is opener opponent LSU, at No. 30. "While this may seem ludicrously low for the LSU Tigers, there are some legitimate concerns facing the program this coming season. Before you even dig into the roster, Brian Kelly’s team is staring down the barrel of a schedule that features seven teams with a preseason ranking. Road games at Clemson, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Oklahoma all hold potential pitfalls that could derail the season," Hodgkinson said. "On the plus side, Kelly has one of the top quarterbacks in the country leading his offense. That said, Garrett Nussmeier needs to cut down on critical interceptions. He’s got a decent receiving group, but LSU lost several of its top pass catchers and both starting offensive tackles. Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins Jr. are monster linebackers, but the secondary isn’t as scary as we’ve seen recently." Clemson 2025 opponents ranked South Carolina - 8
SMU - 10
Louisville - 20
LSU - 30
Syracuse - 33
Boston College - 36
Georgia Tech - 41
Florida State - 47
UNC - 49
Duke - 50
Troy - 74
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