The so-called experts are finally catching up to what we’ve been saying all along: you just can’t keep a Dabo Swinney team down.
Snubbed and left out of the first post-championship polls in January, the Tigers are right back where they belong. CBS Sports just dropped its post-spring Top 25, and Clemson is roaring in at No. 22. We all know this squad has Top 10 upside, but now the rest of the country is starting to feel the momentum building in the Valley.
The "Old is New" Advantage
National analyst Brandon Marcello says this ranking is all about the culture Dabo has built, even if the offense hasn’t shown its full firepower yet. He called it 'what’s old is new again at Clemson,' thanks to the blockbuster return of Chad Morris to run the show.
“This ranking is more a credit to Dabo Swinney's consistency rather than the talent on board," Marcello wrote. "Christopher Vizzina steps in as the starting quarterback with coordinator Chad Morris returning after a decade away from Clemson. The defense won the spring game, with the first-teamers combining for nine sacks, but only two offensive starters were on the field. Tom Allen is calling plays for a second year.”
CV7 Ready for the Spotlight
The keys to the Ferrari are in Christopher Vizzina’s hands now. The redshirt junior from Birmingham already proved he can handle the spotlight, lighting up SMU for 317 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start last fall.
Vizzina heads into 2026 with a cool hand and a deep grasp of the Morris offense. With 596 career passing yards and a sparkling touchdown-to-interception ratio, CV7 is the steady leader who can bring this offense back to its Orange Crush roots.
A Gauntlet Awaits
Clemson isn’t just one of three ACC teams in the CBS Top 25, alongside No. 7 Miami and No. 25 SMU. The Tigers also have one of the most electric schedules we’ve seen in years. It all starts with a heavyweight battle in the Bayou against LSU on September 5, then a home slate packed with Miami, Virginia Tech, and the season-ending rivalry clash with the Gamecocks.
The defense is already elite, the coaching staff is back together, and the quarterback is ready to roll. No. 22 is just the starting line. By the time we’re singing the Alma Mater in November, don’t be surprised if the Tigers are knocking on the door of the Top 10.
Add us as a preferred source on Google