As the 2023 college football season has ended, media outlets have been looking toward the 2024 season and releasing their way-too-early top 25 rankings as they look ahead to what’s to come.
Clemson has been well-represented in these rankings, with the Tigers being ranked on every early ranking we’ve seen so far. Some, however, are a bit lower on the Tigers than others. ESPN is one of those lower, with their way-too-early top 25 rankings having the Tigers ranked as the No. 19 team heading into the 2024 season. Here is what writer Mark Schlabach had to say about the Tigers.
The current state of Clemson football can be perceived as both a glass half-full and half-empty. The Tigers won nine games in 2023 for the 13th season in a row, and they’ll probably finish in the top 25 of the final AP poll for the 13th consecutive season as well. That being said, they were 4-4 at the end of October and out of the CFP race for the third straight season. If the Tigers are going to return to the sport’s upper echelon in 2024, quarterback Cade Klubnik must continue to improve, and coach Dabo Swinney needs to find some weapons. Shipley entered the NFL draft, and Collins, the team’s second-leading receiver, transferred to Notre Dame. Hiring former Ole Miss coach Matt Luke to coach the offensive line should help an inconsistent unit. The Tigers lost a handful of players to the transfer portal but haven’t added any yet.
Clemson returns a lot of talent for the 2024 season and is shaping up to be better next season than they were this season. Currently, the Tigers are between 10th-best and 13th-best odds to win the National Championship next season.
Don’t get me wrong, the Tigers haven’t been elite like they once were of late… but No.19 is simply too, especially considering some of the teams we see ranked ahead of them here. Clemson has a great chance to make this ranking look foolish in 2024.