Every college football team begins the spring with a fresh start; for Clemson, a 0-0 record feels like a last-minute exorcism. After the 2025 season, which landed the Tigers in a five-way tie for seventh place in the ACC, the national narrative at last is beginning to present a glimmer of hope. Athlon Sports on Wednesday also published its 2026 ACC Preseason Power Rankings, and they aren’t as low on the Tigers as past standings have it. Despite the 7-6 finish, Athlon has seeded Clemson at No. 4 in the conference to begin the spring.
The Top 5: Chasing the Canes
The path back to the summit of this season is presently blocked by a longtime foe in Coral Gables. Miami, after returning from a playoff run to the 2025 National Championship, sits in No. 1 in all.
1 Miami Landing Duke transfer QB Darian Mensah (3,973 yards, 34 TDs in '25)
2 Louisville Convincing star RB Isaac Brown to stay out of the portal.
3 SMU Continuity with QB Kevin Jennings following a CFP showing.
4 Clemson The Chad Morris era 2.0 and a roster featuring 10 key transfers.
5 Virginia Tech The James Franklin era begins with Brent Pry returning as DC.
Why the Tigers Are So Optimistic?
Athlon’s Steven Lassan said that while 2025 was such a “major disappointment,” Dabo Swinney didn’t just let it sit there on his hands. Staff shakeup—in which the front-running offense is led by Chad Morris once more—is a desperate attempt to mend the identity crisis in Death Valley. Even most uncharacteristically, Clemson was taking initiative in the portal, pulling in 10 transfers in order to plug holes homegrown development couldn't bridge quickly enough.
"This spring is the first taste of how this team was able to turn this page,” Lassan wrote. “The Tigers go into ’26 with question marks, especially starting with Christopher Vizzina, but the defense can retool around stars like Sammy Brown and Will Heldt.”
The Schedule Gauntlet
It will not be easy to prove Athlon right for Clemson. Their 2026 slate included a number of teams that are trending higher in these same power rankings:
Miami (No. 1): Oct. 3 in Death Valley.
Virginia Tech (No. 5): Oct. 24, featuring a "re-established" Hokie culture organized by James Franklin.
Georgia Tech (No. 8): Nov. 14, a team that provided Clemson fits in ’25.
But while the “Clemson is Dead” crowd (you, CBS) is still screaming, the math from Athlon indicates that the Tigers’ roster of talent — ranked No. 14 nationally by recruiting averages — is still too high to keep them down for long.