Since they lost to LSU in the 2019-20 National Championship game, the Clemson Tigers have been trying to claw their way back to the title game.
In fact, both times they reached the College Football Playoff since then have resulted in losses to Ohio State (2020-21) and Texas (2024-25), something the two-time champions under head coach Dabo Swinney are not accustomed to.
The Tigers were ranked No. 6 in Monday's Coaches Poll, putting them behind Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Georgia and Notre Dame. ESPN college football insider Heather Dinich was on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday morning and said she believes Clemson is underrated entering the 2025 season.
"Clemson is underrated. Why are we not talking more about the Clemson Tigers and Dabo Swinney? This is the year they have all the pieces in place to return to national relevance in the College Football Playoff and make a deep run," Dinich said. "You look at Cade Klubnik, their quarterback, he is a projected No. 1 pick in Jordan Reid's latest 2026 mock draft. And he's got one of the best defensive lines in the country, multiple receivers to throw it to. This is a team that should be getting more credit this preseason."
.@CFBHeather believes Clemson is underrated this season pic.twitter.com/9U8MM2SCb1
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 5, 2025
While Klubnik's first season as Clemson's starter in 2023 left room for improvement with only 19 TD passes and nine interceptions, he made great strides last season with career-highs in passing yards (3,639) and TDs (36) He took better care of the ball with only six interceptions and was tied for the 14th-best QBR (78.9) in the country with Notre Dame's Riley Leonard.
The biggest question mark for Clemson is the running back position. Will Shipley is now with the Philadelphia Eagles while last season's starter Phil Mafah is a member of the Dallas Cowboys. That leaves the door open for someone else to step up in 2025, giving the entire RB room a chance to prove themselves on a stacked roster.
This is certainly one of the most talented teams all around that Swinney's Tigers have had since their last national title in 2018-19. If Clemson is going to return to the top, it must win its marquee games this season.
In 2024, Clemson got blown out by Georgia in the opener, lost to in-state rival South Carolina in a game it only scored 14 points and fell to Texas in the first round of the College Football Playoff. A loss to Louisville in the middle of the season was another setback.
Clemson will be tested out of the gate this season when it hosts LSU on Aug. 30. It also faces road tests at Georgia Tech (Sept. 13), North Carolina (Oct. 4), Boston College (Oct. 11), Louisville (Nov. 14) and South Carolina (Nov. 29).
If Klubnik builds off his improved 2024 season and the talent on the roster translates to the field, Clemson has all the tools to get through its schedule and make some noise in the College Football Playoff this season.
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