Dabo Swinney is enjoying one of the most successful offseasons of his coaching career with Clemson football, maintaining most of his playoff-bound roster from a season ago and landing an impressive 2025 recruiting class, building on 2026, and bringing in three high-level transfers who figure to compete for playing time this season.
Everyone is high on Clemson for the reasons listed above.
But just how high are college football experts regarding the loaded Clemson Tigers roster headed into the 2025 campaign? High.
Stewart Mandel, a respected college football expert, answered a mailbag question this week about the Power Four conference champion he sees most likely to repeat in 2025. His answer should make Tiger fans pretty happy.
Mandel reportedly ranked Clemson as the favorite of all the Power Four champions from a season ago to repeat as their conference's top team.
Mentioned as his reasoning for choosing Clemson as the most likely to repeat is the fact that he sees the Tigers as the clear favorite to win the ACC and he doesn't see them narrowly escaping disaster just to make the conference title game this year. He believes SMU and Miami could give the Tigers a scare, but if it's Clemson vs. the field, he's taking Dabo's squad.
He also stated that Dabo has one of the best quarterbacks returning along with an elite defensive line and receiving corps led by Antonio Williams. He's echoing all the same sentiments we have throughout the offseason and it's just building the anticipation.
Not to add more pressure to the Tigers, but it has to be national title contention or bust this year.