The 2023 Clemson football season had its ups and downs under Coach Dabo Swinney. They finished strong with a win against Kentucky in the Gator Bowl, but their 9-4 overall record and 4-4 in the ACC left some fans wanting more consistency. Now, the focus is on how Clemson can improve in 2024.
Fans are eager to see what changes the team will make for the next season. As they prepare for new challenges, there’s a sense of hope and excitement for Clemson to get better. We saw a glimpse of that preparation in spring football, but with that behind us all attention is now on the 2024 season and if the Tigers can compete for a National Championship.
On3, like others, is not as high on the Tigers heading into the season. In their updated post-spring Top 25 rankings, Clemson ranked low at No. 18.
Coach Dabo Swinney told us at the end of last season to buy Clemson stock. After the Tigers were the only non-service academy team to take zero transfers, it’s difficult to believe Clemson will be much different than last season. The Tigers have some elite players — defensive tackle Peter Woods, for example — but unless they’ve finally struck gold at receiver for the first time since Tee Higgins left, they’re still going to be playing toss-up games against talented opponents. If everything breaks right, Clemson can win the ACC again. But can the Tigers compete with the nation’s elite — which build their rosters more efficiently — if they do reach the tournament?
This is just too low for the Tigers. The talent returning on this team is tremendous on defense, and the offense has most of its starting pieces back and ready to go. It truly comes down to development and the Clemson offense taking the next step.
I’m of the opinion the Tigers offense will do so, making this ranking feel at least three spots too low. Clemson is a Top 15 team heading into 2024, even if some rankings won’t reflect it.