Athlon ranks Clemson in top-tier of 'Way-Too-Early' Top 25 |
With all of the bowl games settled, Athlon Sports released its early peek ahead to 2018 with a very familiar top-two in the top-25 rankings.
National-title-game participant and perennial top-rated recruiter Alabama takes the No. 1 spot with Clemson checking at No. 2 ahead of Ohio State, Georgia and Miami in the top-five. "The Tigers should be favored to win their fourth consecutive ACC title next year," Steven Lassan writes. "The offense will return nearly intact for coach Dabo Swinney, starting with quarterback Kelly Bryant and running backs Tavien Feaster and Travis Etienne. While Bryant is the returning starter under center, five-star freshman Trevor Lawrence joins the mix this offseason. His progress will be a storyline to watch in offseason workouts, especially after the offense struggled in the Sugar Bowl loss to Alabama..." Other rankings of note include Florida State, at No. 17, and "teams to watch" include Louisville, NC State, South Carolina and Texas A&M. Athlon's early, early rankings aren't the first, as FOX's Joel Klatt also placed Clemson at No. 2 behind Alabama and is even higher on Miami, with a fourth-best preseason rank.
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