It's been a pretty fruitful spring for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers. After a 10-win season that culminated in the ninth ACC championship under Swinney with a 34-31 upset win over the SMU Mustangs in Charlotte, the Tigers have been busy this offseason with additions to their coaching staff, in recruiting, and even in the transfer portal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Swinney tapped Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen to lead the defense after parting ways with Wes Goodwin.
Former player and fan favorite Ben Boulware has an expanded role in recruiting and as the team's linebackers coach. In the transfer portal, the Tigers added receiver Tristan Smith from Southeast Missouri State, linebacker Jeremiah Alexander from the Alabama Crimson Tide, and stud defensive lineman Will Heldt from Purdue. Smith in particular impressed Swinney in Clemson's annual Orange and White Spring Game by catching five passes for 137 yards, including a long 72-yard touchdown catch-and-run.
The Tigers also have several big pieces returning in 2025, namely quarterback Cade Klubnik. The former 5-star rrecruit out of Austin, Texas, is coming off his best season. He threw for a career-high 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns to only six interceptions as a junior in 2024.
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Freshmen receivers Bryant Wesco (41 catches, 708 yards) and T.J. Moore (45 catches, 651 yards) showed off their talent as 5-star recruits a year ago, while emerging receiver Antonio Williams (75 catches, 904 yards) had the best season of his collegiate career. Defensive line anchors T.J. Parker and Peter Woods also return as early 2026 NFL Draft prospects to watch. On Monday, USA TODAY Sports released its annual way-too-early college football Top 25 rankings following the conclusion of spring practices across the nation.
The Tigers rank No. 5 in analysts Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith's Top 25. Myerberg said of the Tigers' top 5 ranking: "QB Cade Klubnik and the defending ACC champions will be expected to repeat in 2025 and go deeper into the playoff.
The offense could have issues at RB after projected starter Jay Haynes tore his ACL in the ACC title game, though freshmen David Eziomume and Gideon Davidson looked good in the spring. Defensively, expect Clemson to rebound under new coordinator Tom Allen after falling to ninth in the ACC in yards allowed per play this past season. The pieces are in place for a run at the national tile."
Klubnik and the Tigers rank one spot below the defending SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs and one spot ahead of the No. 6 LSU Tigers. Clemson will face quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and LSU at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 30 to open the 2025 college football season.
Nussmeier and Klubnik are both early names to watch for the Heisman Trophy entering 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Topping USA TODAY Sports' post-spring rankings are the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, followed by the Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 2 and the Texas Longhorns at No.
3. The Miami Hurricanes were the second highest ranked ACC team on USA TODAY Sports' list at No. 10.
The only other ACC team in the Top 25 post-spring rankings were the Louisville Cardinals at No. 18. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football ranks top 5 in USA TODAY Sports' post-spring Top 25
