National outlet has ACC team in Playoff, but it's not Clemson |
Pro Football Focus upped its preseason outlook for Clemson, but the ACC crown goes elsewhere.
Dabo Swinney's Tigers moved up three places from the way-too-early rankings to No. 8 this week, but PFF's Max Chadwick has Florida State rounding out the Playoff group at No. 4. "Florida State is one of my picks to make the College Football Playoff this season and has one of the most stacked rosters in the country," Chadwick said. "I also predict Jordan Travis to win the Heisman Trophy after he placed second among all Power Five quarterbacks with a 91.7 grade last season. Edge defender Jared Verse also returns even though he could’ve been a top-20 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Seminoles have a loaded offense in terms of skill position players, while the defense has a few potential stars, as well." Chadwick joins the crowd wondering what kind of improvement the Clemson offense will show. "The biggest story for the Tigers is how their offense will look with new faces at play caller and quarterback. Garrett Riley is Clemson’s offensive coordinator after winning the Broyles Award at TCU last year as the best assistant coach in the country. Cade Klubnik is the new man under center and was the top quarterback recruit in the 2022 class. On the other side of the ball, the Tigers lost some key players along the defensive line but still have the best linebacker unit in the country and one of the nation’s best secondaries," said Chadwick. Clemson will also host PFF's No. 13 in Notre Dame and No. 25 in North Carolina this November. DJ Uiagalelei and Oregon State are No. 19 in the ranking. Clemson had 16 All-ACC selections for 17 spots with PFF, which paced the league.
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