The ink is barely dry on the 2025 college football season. A new national champion was crowned Monday night when the Indiana Hoosiers completed their historic turnaround with a 27-21 victory over the ACC’s Miami Hurricanes for their first national championship in program history.
But as is the case every year, college football fans, analysts and pundits alike are already turning an eye toward next season. Such is the case for veteran USA TODAY Sports scribes Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith, who unveiled their way-too-early 2026 college football rankings.
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Clemson made the top 25, but it’s near the lower end of the rankings; USA TODAY Sports has Dabo Swinney’s team at No. 19. The Tigers are one spot below the No. 18 Utah Utes and one spot ahead of the No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels.
Myerberg and Smith admit that ranking Clemson in the top 25 is a gamble.
“This is a major roll of the dice given how the Tigers’ abysmal 2025 season and the uncertainty at quarterback, with junior Christopher Vizzina set to take over after an unimpressive run in the backup role. But Clemson has done a better job in the portal, grabbing edge London Merritt (Colorado), safety Corey Myrick (Southern Mississippi) and corner Donovan Starr (Auburn), among others, and Dabo Swinney will still have a roster that might be the most talented in the ACC. A lot is hinging on whether new offensive coordinator Chad Morris can recapture the magic of his previous stint with the program.”
Clemson football quarterback position remains a big mystery entering 2026 season
While Clemson has indeed been more active in the transfer portal by bringing in 10 players this offseason, one position that Swinney and offensive coordinator Chad Morris apparently saw no need to upgrade was the biggest of all: the quarterback spot.
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For now, the Tigers appear content to turn over the reins to Vizzina, a four-star recruit who made one start in 2025. Starting in place of an injured Cade Klubnik, the sophomore from Birmingham completed 29 of 45 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns in an uninspiring 35-24 home loss to the SMU Mustangs on Oct. 18.
Vizzina was 16 of 29 for 89 yards for the rest of the season. While the Tigers’ loss to SMU wasn’t the fault of poor QB play (the defense allowed 430 yards), it’s always a gamble with a quarterback that has so few snaps at the collegiate level.
ACC football teams ranked by USA TODAY Sports entering 2026 season
Clemson football schedule 2026
Clemson will open the season with a trip to Baton Rouge to face LSU and coach Lane Kiffin in his first game as Tigers coach on Sept. 5. LSU was ranked No. 15 in USA TODAY Sports’ way-too-early 2026 rankings. Clemson has road trips scheduled to California at Berkeley, Duke, Syracuse and Florida State.
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The Tigers host Miami, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Virginia Tech in ACC play, as well as nonconference games against Georgia Southern, Charleston Southern, and their annual in-state rivalry with South Carolina.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football far down early top 25 rankings for 2026
