Rival Coach Rhett Lashlee Crowns Clemson the 'Standard of ACC Football,' Picks Them No. 1 Nationally

CHARLOTTE, NC – In a stunning declaration at today’s ACC Media Kickoff, a rival head coach has unequivocally crowned Clemson as the undisputed "STANDARD" of Atlantic Coast Conference football and boldly picked them as the No. 1 team in the entire country for 2025! That ringing endorsement comes from SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee, whose Mustangs fell to the Tigers in a thrilling, last-second ACC Championship Game just last season.

Lashlee, who orchestrated an incredible comeback for SMU in their inaugural ACC season, leading them to the championship game and a College Football Playoff berth, knows firsthand the challenge of facing Dabo Swinney's program. In that epic 2024 ACC title clash, Clemson edged SMU 34-31 on a walk-off 56-yard field goal, despite the Mustangs battling back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit.

"The biggest thing is, we’re facing Dabo Swinney,” Lashlee admitted. “I mean, he’s the patriarch of ACC football, and I have tons of respect for him. He’s actually become, in this league, someone I really respect. I don’t know if we have friends as coaches, but I really respect him, and we talk often. He reminds me that they beat us.”

Despite the sting of that championship loss, Lashlee's respect for Clemson's prowess is immense. As a voter in the coaches poll, he revealed his top pick for the upcoming season. “I vote in the coaches poll, and they are going to be number one in my poll, and not just because I’m in this league,” Lashlee declared. “I think they’re national championship-level good this year, and they have everybody back from that team we played. Now, we’re a different team, and they will be to some degree too.”

Lashlee's unprecedented praise aligns with the national consensus for Clemson, which is currently rated as high as No. 2 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early rankings. Programs across the nation are bracing for the Tigers to be a top contender, recognizing the weight of expectations now squarely on Clemson’s shoulders.

"We knew that if you want to get into this league, and you want to earn respect, and you want to ever get to the top, you’re going to have to go through the best, and they’ve been the standard for the last decade,” Lashlee stated, reinforcing Clemson's position as the benchmark for success.

For Clemson, "The Standard is the Standard," and with a rival coach putting them atop his national poll and declaring them "national championship-level good," the Tigers are ready to prove they can not only meet, but exceed, those sky-high expectations in 2025. Their next test against SMU will come in the formidable confines of Death Valley – a fitting stage for a team hailed as the conference's absolute standard.