Clemson moves up Top 5 in another preseason college football ranking

Clemson's stacked receiver corps will boost the Tigers' chances this season.

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Wednesday, May 21 2025

Post-spring outlooks have been effusive in the praise for Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers football team, and count The Athletic's Stewart Mandel in that group also.

Mandel moved Clemson up two spots to No. 3 overall, trailing just Texas and Penn State.

Continuing a trend, Swinney's transfer portal use was noted, including the spring game impact of wide receiver Tristan Smith.

"I was already high on Clemson, and then two things happened. 1. Coach Dabo Swinney finally got some transfers, and one of them, former Southeast Missouri State receiver Tristan Smith, stole the show at the Tigers’ spring game with five catches for 137 yards. 2. Early 2026 mock drafts emerged, and every guy listed above (save for second-year player Brown) was a projected first-rounder. Clemson should have its best team in five years," Mandel said.

Of course, five years back points to the end of Clemson's 2015-20 Playoff run, which was capped by its quarterback Trevor Lawrence's selection as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.

Cade Klubnik has received some projections of following in Lawrence's footsteps there, going into a much-anticipated senior campaign.

Ohio State and Notre Dame round out Mandel's post-spring Top 5.

Opener foe LSU is No. 6.

"I’m still high on LSU despite the two-spot drop. Coach Brian Kelly added to what was already the nation’s No. 1 transfer class with Gooden, who had 10 TFLs last season, and first-team All-Big 12 safety Haulcy. WR Nic Anderson from Oklahoma is a big get. Reports out of spring indicated that the Tigers’ D-line will be a strength, thanks to Florida transfer Jack Pyburn and Nebraska transfer Jimari Butler," Mandel said.

The ACC has two in the Top 10, with Miami at No. 9. Clemson's next scheduled opponent is South Carolina at No. 17.

"Sellers should be one of the stars of the sport after a breakout redshirt freshman season (2,534 yards passing, 674 yards rushing). Freshman WR Malik Clark could become one of his targets. The Gamecocks lost a lot from last year’s dominant D-line. Coach Shane Beamer got help on the interior with Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (Texas A&M) and Troy Pikes (Georgia Southern). NC State’s Brandon Cisse will help in the secondary," Mandel said.

Louisville rounds out the Clemson opponents at No. 23. SMU is among the teams that "just missed."