Clemson ranked outside Top 10 of Athlon preseason rankings

Florida State is 7th and Clemson is 12th in the Athlon college football rankings for 2023.

by TigerNet Staff - Fri May 26 12:43:13 GMT-04:00 2023

Athlon Sports doesn't quite see Clemson as a Top 10 team for 2023.

Clemson checked in at No. 12 there recently.

"Dabo Swinney didn’t sit idle this offseason despite the program winning double-digit games for the 12th year in a row in ’22. Instead, Swinney made a bold move to hire TCU’s Garrett Riley as the program’s new coordinator to revitalize an offense that has grown stale in recent years," said Athlon's Steven Lassan. "Riley’s hire is also good news for the development of rising star sophomore quarterback Cade Klubnik and dynamic running back Will Shipley. As usual, defense won’t be a problem at Clemson. The Tigers are loaded along the line and at linebacker. If Klubnik develops and answers emerge along the offensive line and receiving corps, Swinney’s team will be knocking on the door of the playoff once again."

Florida State is the perceived ACC favorite as the No. 7-ranked team.

"Thanks to a steady rebuild under head coach Mike Norvell, the Seminoles appear poised to return to the top of the ACC in 2023. Quarterback (and Heisman Trophy candidate) Jordan Travis returns to direct an offense that averaged 36.1 points per game last season. He’s supported by a couple of the ACC’s top playmakers in running back Trey Benson, 6-foot-7 receiver Johnny Wilson, and Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman, and the offensive line could be the best in the conference. Similar to the offense, the defense has made strides over the past two years and should take another step forward with eight returning starters, including All-America end Jared Verse," said Lassan.

Clemson has won seven in a row over the Seminoles.

The Top 5 is Georgia then Michigan, Alabama, Southern Cal and Ohio State.

November home opponent Notre Dame is 14th.

"After an up-and-down debut as the program’s head coach, Marcus Freeman also had his share of interesting moments during the offseason," said Lassan. "Tommy Rees’ departure to Alabama resulted in an extended search for a new play-caller, which eventually landed on a promotion for assistant Gerad Parker. This will be Parker’s first full job as a coordinator, but his transition into the role will be eased by the arrival of Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman at quarterback, along with a standout pair of bookends at tackle in Joe Alt and Blake Fisher. Standout edge rusher Isaiah Foskey leaves big shoes to fill on the defensive line. If Notre Dame can avoid a repeat of ’22’s puzzling losses (to Marshall and Stanford), home dates versus Ohio State and USC provide a path to another push for a playoff spot."

North Carolina, also a Nov. home opponent, rounds out the ACC reps at No. 25.