Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program had a solid 2023, but the team and fans did expect more out of the Tigers this past season.
Ending their season with a 38-35 wild Gator Bowl win over Kentucky is a great end; finishing 9-4 with a 4-4 record in the ACC falls short for many. With the 2023 season behind us, the team, fans, and media move on to the 2024 season and what Clemson could look like next season.
Clemson has the talent to be great in 2024, but a lot of development and hard work will be needed for this team to return to being a true competitor. Athlon Sports recently released their college football way-too-early Top 25 for 2024, with Clemson right in the hunt as their No.13 ranked team.
With Florida State losing a big chunk of talent from the ACC Championship team from ’23, coach Dabo Swinney’s Tigers are likely to open ’24 as the favorite to win the conference. After averaging only 23.6 points a contest in ACC play, Swinney hopes another offseason for quarterback Cade Klubnik under coordinator Garrett Riley will help to elevate the entire production of this group. Helping to ease the pressure on a developing offense is another standout defense in Death Valley. Linemen Peter Woods and TJ Parker and linebackers Wade Woodaz and Barrett Carter headline the top returners next season.
Clemson should return to top-dog status in the ACC next season, but whether they’ll compete for the big one is up in the air.