With spring practices in the books, national outlets/writers/analysts have been releasing their post-spring Top 25s ahead of the 2022 college football season.
Clemson (10-3, 6-2 ACC in 2021) fell one spot in USA Today’s post-spring Top 25 and is now ranked No. 5 behind (in order from Nos. 1-4) Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma.
“The focus will again be on the offense as D.J. Uiagalelei enters his second year as the starting quarterback,” USA Today’s Erick Smith wrote. “Uiagalelei was expected to seamlessly grab the baton from Trevor Lawrence, but he struggled last season and didn’t look great in the team’s spring game. Cade Klubnik enrolled early and could push for playing time if those struggles continue. On the plus side, the defense should be salty with lineman Myles Murphy and K.J. Henry among the standouts in the unit. The early schedule is much easier this season without an opener against Georgia. That could help ease some of the struggles before the start of the significant ACC games come.”
CBS Sports, meanwhile, has the Tigers ranked No. 11 in its post-spring Top 25.
“I’m not buying that Clemson won 10 in an “off” year,” CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd wrote. “The conclusion here is that program declined in general and needs to get its mojo back quickly. Something is up with D.J. Uiagalelei’s game. It has to be fixed for the Tigers to ascend back to the top of the ACC. Both coordinators left. Dabo Swinney continues to complain about NIL and the transfer portal. That can’t be good for transfers looking at the Tigers. The question has to be asked: Is Clemson’s dynasty over when its ceiling for 2022 is only the ACC title?”
The top 10 in Dodd’s post-spring Top 25 is comprised of Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Baylor, Michigan, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Utah and Arkansas, in that order.
Fox Sports’ RJ Young also released his post-spring Top 25 and has Clemson ranked No. 12 behind (in order from Nos. 1-11) Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas A&M, Baylor, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Utah.
Other ACC teams ranked in the aforementioned post-spring Top 25s are NC State (No. 10, USA Today), Wake Forest (No. 17, USA Today; No. 21, CBS Sports), Pittsburgh (No. 22, USA Today) and Miami (No. 12, CBS Sports).
Clemson will kick off the 2022 campaign against Georgia Tech on Sept. 5 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.
