247Sports predicts Clemson's future in Playoff race |
247Sports peered into the future and where the Clemson Tigers will stand in the national picture
for the next three seasons.
In said assessment, they do not have Clemson in the Playoff mix this year -- tagged as a "conference championship contender," but they're projected as a "national championship contender" in 2024 and a Playoff contender in 2025. "You're either buying stock in Clemson trending down as a program under Dabo Swinney, who's won two national championships this decade with the Tigers, or you see substantial light at the end of the tunnel," said 247Sports' Brad Crawford. "The recruiting angle is vital here for the Tigers. Their rolling three-year recruiting class average per 247Sports is No. 8 nationally, which includes consecutive classes ranked 10th. For 2024, the Tigers have six players committed and also rank 10th, per 247Sports. Clemson is beginning to lose head-to-head recruiting battles in its own backyard, notes 247Sports recruiting analyst Brian Dohn. That can't happen if the Tigers want to maintain elite billing. "Swinney's offseason hire of TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley on a three-year contract coincides with this lookahead ranking, with the expectation the reigning Broyles Award winner doesn't leave for a head-coaching job prior to 2025. And with sophomore Cade Klubnik assuming the QB1 reins, we're expecting to see him be 'the guy' for the Tigers for the next several years. Can you imagine his heightened development under Riley if both are still on campus in spring 2025? Clemson's not going anywhere if this pairing flourishes." The top-6 ahead of Clemson in the three-year lookahead rankings are Georgia, then Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, Texas and Tennessee. The next ACC team is Florida State at No. 13, where they're tagged as a national title contender this season and in the Playoff mix over the two seasons after that. Miami checks in at No. 15 to round out ACC reps in the top 25. "The ceiling for Florida State in the ACC is winning the league and getting to the College Football Playoff and this season might be the window to do it. Few programs nationally bring back a season quarterback as talented as Jordan Travis and the Seminoles coaxed several other veterans to skip the NFL Draft for another season in Tallahassee," Crawford said. "Essentially a co-favorite to win the conference alongside Clemson, Florida State cleaned up in the transfer portal, which appears to be a strength for Mike Norvell and staff. If Florida State remains in the ACC and doesn't jump elsewhere over the next three years after paying the sizable exit fee, the Seminoles will be the program we're talking about every summer as a factor in the expanded playoff... "Admittedly, we're taking a swing on Miami inside the top 15, but it's hard to ignore what Mario Cristobal is doing in recruiting within a super-winnable ACC. Of course, that's part of the problem — the ACC has been anything but super-winnable for the Hurricanes since joining in 2004 after 13 years in the Big East. Per 247Sports, Cristobal signed the nation's 13th-best class in 2022 and the No. 7 haul this cycle, so there's going to be talent expected to make an impact on the field in 2023. And with John Ruiz anchoring the Hurricanes' NIL efforts, Miami will continue to be a conference leader of sorts in that department. Miami underachieved relative to its talent level last fall and should challenge for eight wins (or more) in 2023."
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