Dabo Swinney Admits Clemson Tigers 'Need a Little Luck' in 2025

At the tail end of Clemson Tigers training camp, Dabo Swinney feels that this year's team has several bright spots, one of which could put them over the hump for a deep College Football Playoff run.

Recently, on the ACC Football Road Trip, head coach Dabo Swinney was asked about what makes this particular team different from other iterations of past Tigers teams. 

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"I mean, they're together, they've been about their business, and they've just shown up and done the work,” Swinney said. “They have also been pretty fortunate with the pretty unusual cool weather over the past week or so. I always tell everybody to have a great team, you need a little luck along the way, and they've had some favor."

Lady Luck comes in many shapes and forms. Missed calls, a fortuitous bounce of the ball, weather, but most importantly, injuries. 

Senior quarterback Cade Klubnik is being counted on to lead a deep and talented offense. Accolades have been poured on him all preseason from college football analysts and NFL Draft analysts alike. It’s been a big change from last season when Swinney was getting pressure to replace Klubnik.  

"He knows who he is, he has a lot of belief in himself, and has a great foundation in life. He's grounded, and this time last year, everybody was saying he can't do it. Now, he's a Heisman candidate," Swinney explained. 

Klubnik has earned the high praise of experts and fans alike within the college football world before the season even commences. Earning the lofty expectations by showcasing a powerful arm and having the ability to make great decisions on the fly, while not turning the ball over.

Right off the bat, Klubnik will have to match the expectations with consistent play when Clemson opens the season against the 9th-ranked LSU Tigers in primetime on ABC on Saturday night in Death Valley. 

Clemson has a bit of inexperience within the running back room, but depth will be a premium until someone emerges. The starter is scheduled to be Adam Randall, who will try to do his best Deebo Samuel impersonation this year. The wide receiver turned running back is a load out of the backfield at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds. 


The aspect of Clemson football that may put them back in the national championship picture may be the one that is roaming the sidelines as the new defensive coordinator at Clemson. Tom Allen, who spent last season on the Penn State sideline, implemented a fast, physical, and aggressive style of play in Happy Valley.

This season, he takes over the reins at Clemson with a team that gave up entirely too many big plays last year and wasn't very good in the red zone. Tackling was also an area of concern early in the season.

Allen came in and implemented a reset mentality with the fundamentals taught at a much younger level. Which, in turn, has given the Clemson Tigers a newfound energy on the defensive side of the football.

These changes alone may be what it takes to get the Clemson Tigers their first national championship since 2018