Tag: Clemson football

Clemson appears twice in ESPN list of top 10 games to watch in 2024

Clemson vs. Georgia and Clemson vs. Florida State are two of ESPN’s 10 games to watch for the 2024 season.

The Clemson Tigers have several marquee matchups on their 2024 schedule, and with exactly 100 days until college football officially kicks off, two of those showdowns made ESPN’s list of 10 games to watch for the upcoming season.

Florida State will face Georgia Tech in 100 days in Dublin, Ireland in what’s commonly known as “Week 0.” A week later, Clemson opens its season on August 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta against the Georgia Bulldogs in one of the most anticipated matchups of Week 1.

The Clemson-Georgia tilt ranked No. 8 in ESPN’s list of top 10 games to watch in the 2024 season. The Tigers will be big underdogs against a Georgia team that figures to be a consensus preseason No. 1.

Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs will be seeking their third national championship in four years, cementing themselves as the top dog (no pun intended) in the college football world. For its part, Clemson is hoping to improve on a 9-4 season that saw them win their final five games after a miserable 4-4 start.

Per the ESPN pool of reporters who made up the list:

“Want to identify the moment Georgia became the behemoth of college football and Clemson started its slow decline from perennial playoff contender? It might well be the opener in 2021, when the Bulldogs outlasted the Tigers 10-3 thanks to a pick-six of DJ Uiagalelei. If Clemson wants to reverse those trends, winning the 2024 opener would be an excellent start — not to mention a healthy dose of redemption.”

Speaking of redemption, Clemson-Florida State also cracked ESPN’s list at No. 5. The Tigers will head to Tallahassee on October 5 looking to avenge last year’s overtime loss to the Seminoles, who snapped a seven-game losing streak to Dabo Swinney teams.

Per ESPN:

“The 2023 season proved a return to normalcy in the ACC, with the FSU-Clemson showdown effectively determining who was top dog in the league. Both teams should be battling for a spot in the ACC championship game again this year, though the winner would probably prefer an exit from the ACC altogether.”

Putting aside whatever both schools’ hopes are pertaining to conference realignment, the Clemson-Florida State winner figures to have a direct path to the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.

And coupled with a win over Georgia, if Clemson is able to pull off such an upset, the Tigers would be back in the running as a team to be reckoned with in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.

Kickoff time and broadcast info for Clemson-Florida State has yet to be announced.

Clemson-Georgia is scheduled to kick off at noon EDT in Atlanta. The game will be televised by ABC.

Clemson quarterbacks make NCAA Football video game covers in revisionist history

A look at which two former Clemson Tigers quarterbacks made the list of NCAA Football video game covers from ESPN.

With the announcement Thursday that the much-anticipated debut of EA Sports College Football 25 has an official release date of Friday, July 19, fans and gamers alike now know which dates to make up an excuse to miss work and spend a long weekend playing the first college football video game that will be released since 2013.

Eleven years is a long time between editions of a video game series, and fans missed the opportunity to play with a lot of college football stars in that time.

Which athletes would have made the cover of NCAA Football (the game’s previous moniker) each year had the series continued uninterruptedly from 2014-2023? ESPN’s David Hale pondered this question and came up with a litany of players he would have chosen as the face of each edition.

Notably, two former Clemson Tigers quarterbacks made the cover of NCAA Football in ESPN’s bit of revisionist history.

It should go without saying that one of them is Trevor Lawrence. As a true freshman in 2018, Lawrence led the Tigers to their second title in three years with a 44-16 rout of Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Lawrence’s throttling of Alabama’s defense that January night in 2019 capped an undefeated season for coach Dabo Swinney’s team. Clemson became the first-ever college football team to finish 15-0 en route to a national championship in the four-team playoff.

That was more than enough to make Lawrence the face of an imaginary NCAA Football 20. Lawrence beat out teammate Travis Etienne, Purdue receiver Rondale Moore, Ohio State defensive end Chase Young, LSU defensive back Greedy Williams, and Alabama stars Tua Tagovailoa and receiver Jerry Jeudy.

Per Hale:

“Lawrence and Etienne made for a worthy tandem, both fresh off a national title with two years left at Clemson. Moore was a revelation as a freshman, electric as a receiver and a return man. Young was the second coming of (Joey) Bosa, a force of nature at the line of scrimmage who racked up 9.5 sacks and 14.5 TFL, presaging an even bigger season in 2019. Tagovailoa and Jeudy had just been dismissed by Clemson in the title game, but there was still ample hype surrounding Alabama.”

The other Clemson quarterback that made ESPN’s list is something of a surprise in that it isn’t Deshaun Watson.

Despite Watson leading the Tigers to their first national championship in 25 years in January 2017, he missed the nod for the cover of NCAA Football 17, which Hale awarded to former Stanford star Christian McCaffrey.

Instead, former Clemson signal-caller turned Oregon State quarterback turned current Florida State QB DJ Uiagalelei garnered cover honors as the face of NCAA Football 22.

While it might seem like something of an odd decision, Hale adds context to his choice.

“There’s not a clear front-runner among the contenders, but Uiagalelei was probably the biggest name at the time. He’d started two games in relief of Lawrence in 2020 and looked terrific in both. He was a former five-star recruit. He had a big personality, big arm and already had inked some very big endorsement deals. It’s almost hard to imagine now — knowing how it all turned out — but on the heels of Tajh Boyd, Watson and Lawrence excelling at Clemson, Uiagalelei seemed about as close to a surefire star as possible. But hey, maybe in 2023 at Florida State, he’ll actually become one.”

Hale also envisioned a scenario in which Clemson’s famed 2018 defensive line of Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, Austin Bryant, and Clelin Ferrell made the cover of NCAA Football 19. He ultimately awarded that honor to Tagovailoa, who led Alabama to back-to-back appearances in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on his way to becoming a star quarterback for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

RELATED: Clemson offensive stars we’d love to see in EA Sports’ College Football

Dabo Swinney on taking no transfers in 2024: ‘Every player is technically a transfer’

Swinney on taking 0 transfers during the 2024 cycle.

In college football, the transfer portal has become a huge part of the game. However, it is not for everyone, as Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program took in 0 transfers during the 2024 cycle. 

Swinney is well known for not being as invested in the transfer portal as others, but the Tigers had no activity this year in the portal. While they reached out to some names, overall, nothing came from Clemson and the transfer portal. Clemson was the only team outside of the military academies to not bring in a transfer. 

When asked about the reason behind it, Swinney didn’t change his stance on the portal or how the Tigers use it. 

“It wasn’t really necessarily an intentional thing,” Swinney said. “There (are) a couple (of) guys we looked at, but they’ve got to love you too. Honestly, every player is technically a transfer. We just signed a whole class of guys who will transfer in from high school. We like our guys, we like our starters.”

Clemson is in an interesting place right now, and these comments will definitely cause a lot of reactions. The Tigers have seemingly been a piece or two away from returning to the college football playoff, leading to their lack of activity in the transfer portal being concerning for many.

What do you think? Is Swinney admirable to stick to what he believes, or is it time for the Tigers to get active in the transfer portal?

Clemson ranks in the Top 5 toughest environments in college football

Playing in Clemson is not easy for the road team.

When away teams travel to Clemson Memorial Stadium, they know they’re in for a battle. 

Year after year, the Tigers defend Death Valley and prove that an away game against the Tigers is one of the most difficult environments to overcome. A game at Clemson typically means a loss for the Tigers opponent, especially during the Dabo Swinney era of Clemson football. 

Recently, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt released an article naming his five toughest places to play in college football. Clemson landed at No. 5 on the list. 

Clemson had a stretch where it went 62-1 at home from 2013-22. It won 40 straight home games during that stretch, marking the longest home winning streak in ACC history and the longest in the FBS since the great Nebraska teams of the 1990s. That’s ridiculous. It’s a combination of “Yes, this team is really good” but it’s also a ridiculously tough environment to play at.

Clemson is as dangerous as they come when playing in front of their home crowd, and the statistics show it. 62-1 at home from 2013-22 is absurd, and it is a feat that likely won’t be seen again for some time. 

The Tigers’ home crowd does an excellent job of making Death Valley an incredibly difficult place to play, and that will not stop in the 2024 season.

Clemson vs. Georgia game time announced, mixed reactions to early game

Clemson and Georgia will face off early in Week 1.

Clemson has the toughest Week 1 matchup in college football for 2024 with their game against Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs, with the game time for the highly anticipated matchup being announced on Tuesday. 

The non-conference matchup on Saturday, Aug. 31, in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium has been set for a 12 p.m. ET start and will be televised on ABC. Fans cannot wait for the matchup, and it should be one of, if not the best, game of Week 1. 

The early start time for such a huge matchup has definitely seen mixed reactions from fans. While some enjoy an early game time, games of this magnitude are typically a better fit for a primetime night slot. 

Regardless, the matchup will be intense and one to watch.

The problem with Clemson football is not using the transfer portal, says JD PicKell

Dabo Swinney and the transfer portal have been like oil and water. Is it time to change that?

It’s been three seasons since Clemson made the College Football Playoff. Granted, those three years, the Tigers finished with records nearly any team in the country would be happy to have, but Clemson has been to the playoffs more than any team in the country except Alabama, six years in a row.

Elite success breeds high expectations, and Clemson hasn’t lived up to it in some peoples’ eyes, especially in the national media.

The host of On3 Sports’ “The Hard Count,” JD PicKell, illustrates it perfectly. “If you want to keep enjoying these champagne problems, if you want to keep enjoying champagne,” Clemson needs to continue making the playoffs. His suggestion to Dabo Swinney and the Tigers is to use the transfer portal.

“Dabo not using the portal isn’t a new thing. Nobody was complaining about him not using the portal when they were reeling off college football playoff appearances, but the fact they’ve missed the college football playoff, now, the last three seasons. It’s becoming more of a talking point, becoming more of an issue…

“It’s no longer the situation in college football where you can maybe use the portal, maybe not use the portal. It’s not an option anymore. Everyone and their mama that is winning at a high level is utilizing the transfer portal…”

Going a step further, PicKell makes the point that the teams Clemson is losing to are teams that make a point to utilize the portal. Of the Tigers’ four losses in 2023, NC State had the least incoming transfers with six. Duke had 9, FSU had 12, and Miami had a whopping 17.

PicKell also points out that the transfers, themselves, are making a difference against Clemson. “Keon Coleman made the game-winning grab for a touchdown. He was a guy that was in the portal that Clemson, I’m sure, very much could have made a play for.”

Swinney is hesitant to use the transfer portal because of its potential effect on the culture. But PicKell doesn’t believe the culture has to suffer. Instead, he thinks of the portal as an “apology” for missing on high school recruiting.

“The portal is like an apology. Hey, we missed on this kid. Hey, we missed at this position. Hey, we don’t have enough depth here. Let’s go to the portal and remedy that.”

Clemson had 12 outgoing transfers to one incoming last season. This its 12 and zero, respectively. That by itself is not sustainable. Sure, they can fill the vacancies with high school recruits, but to what end? Every team in the country is recruiting high school prospects. Clemson won’t get every player they want and will have to settle for less talented players.

Future teams will increasingly become less talented and younger if the Tigers don’t start using the transfer portal. With Clemson trying to leave the ACC to, assumedly, the SEC or Big Ten, that won’t be a recipe for success. Quality team depth and experience will matter.

Clemson ranks outside the Top 15 in this way-too-early Top 25 for the 2024 college football season

Clemson should be better than this ranking in 2024.

The 2023 Clemson football season was a mix of good and bad moments, with Coach Dabo Swinney leading the way. Even though they ended with a big win against Kentucky in the Gator Bowl, their overall record of 9-4 and 4-4 in the ACC disappointed some fans who wanted more consistency. Now, everyone’s talking about how Clemson can do better in 2024.

Clemson fans are excited to see what changes the team will make for the next season. As they get ready for new challenges, there’s hope and excitement for Clemson to improve. With spring football behind us, people are now eagerly awaiting college football’s start. 

In Yardbarker’s latest way-too-early Top 25 for the 2024 season, Clemson ranked just outside the Top 15 teams at No. 17.

Clemson has lost at least three games in three consecutive seasons, and 2023’s 9-4 finish snapped a string of 12 consecutive years with at least 10 victories. The Tigers have not been part of the CFP since the 2019 campaign, but the ACC seems there for the taking in 2024. Of course, Clemson needs Cade Klubnik to essentially blossom into one of the country’s top quarterbacks after he completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 2,844 yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season. It would also help if he had an established supporting cast at the skill positions, because the Clemson defense is likely to be among the best in the league.

The ACC is there for the Tigers to take, but will the offense make it possible? They can if Cade Klubnik takes the next step under center and proves to everyone that his five-star rating out of high school was warranted.

Clemson should be better than this ranking in 2024.

Clemson football facilities rank Top 5 most impressive in 2024

Clemson football has some of the best facilities in the country.

The Clemson football program is one of the top programs in the country, especially since the start of the Dabo Swinney era of Clemson football. 

In the Swinney era, the Tigers have seen the best success the program has ever had. Success comes with rewards, and one of the best things about their success is the new facilities Clemson has been able to develop over the years. 

According to 247Sports, Clemson football has the No. 5 most impressive facilities in the country. 

Are recruits still impressed by the amenities Clemson (and many other programs nationally) have housed inside their facilities? It’s a question those who plan these things are trying to solve. Clemson debuted in our college football facilities rankings several years ago at No. 1 after unveiling, at the time, the nation’s wildest infrastructure. The national exposure Clemson’s facility has received since the completion of a $55 million facelift with the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex opening in 2017 has been tremendous and the Tigers have since opened a 12,000 square-foot facility built adjacent to the indoor practice facility which aids in NIL efforts.

Clemson schedule ranks top 10 most tough in college football for 2024

Clemson’s schedule in 2024 is tough.

Year after year, we hear about the ACC and how ‘weak’ their schedules are, but Clemson faces tougher tests than many in the SEC and Big Ten year after year. 

This won’t change in 2024, with Clemson repping one of the most difficult schedules for the upcoming season. From THE most difficult Week 1 matchup in college football to some ACC battles on the road, the Tigers have their work cut out for them next season. According to 247Sports, Clemson’s schedule is the No. 10 most tough heading into the 2024 season. 

Clemson moves into the nation’s toughest schedules ahead of the new season with a harder-than-initially-expected November. The Tigers open with top-ranked Georgia in Atlanta and begin ACC play a couple weeks later against upstart NC State at home. That’s not going to be an easy matchup by any stretch. Two weeks after that, a trip to Tallahassee could decide which one of the preseason elites is still in the league title picture.

Former Clemson star wide receiver cut by the Dallas Cowboys

Former Clemson wide receiver Martavis Bryant will look for a new opportunity in the NFL.

Former Clemson wide receiver Martavis Bryant will look for a new opportunity in professional football.

According to multiple reports, Bryant has been cut by the Cowboys, ending his time in Dallas. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero did note that team’s are interested in Bryant, meaning he has a strong chance of returning to the NFL with another team.

After completing 44 games with the Steelers and Raiders from 2014 to 2018, Bryant, a seasoned veteran, took time away from football for almost five seasons following a suspension. His return to the field came through a tryout with the Cowboys, with the organization liking what they saw from the wide receiver. Bryant recorded 145 catches for 2,183 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns while playing for the Steelers and later the Raiders.