2025 Clemson Schedule Series: SMU |
Grayson Mann
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- Wednesday, February 05 2025
We’ve arrived at a unique juncture for this series.
Not only is SMU the halfway point of the Tigers’ season, but it is also the first opponent on the 2025 schedule that Clemson faced in 2024. The two conference foes clashed for the first time in the ACC Championship, with Dabo Swinney’s program reigning victorious and earning an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff. SMU’s first season in the ACC should be considered an absolute success, and taking a further look helps paint the picture of what challenges Rhett Lashlee’s team should pose to the Tigers in 2025. 2024 Results: (11-3, 8-0 ACC) Postseason: College Football Playoff First Round - L - Penn State 38-10 Three programs joined the ACC in 2024, and one stood higher above the rest. SMU’s inaugural season in the conference went as well as it could’ve, with the Mustangs navigating a new set of teams with great success. In his ACC Championship press conference, Lashlee alluded early on that quarterback Kevin Jennings played a major role in propelling this group to such success. Initially, Preston Stone was the starter for the SMU offense, but Jennings took over in a win over Nevada, and the rest is history for this group. After a September loss to BYU, the Mustangs won nine straight games to clinch a spot in Charlotte and likely a spot in the College Football Playoff. The speed Jennings played with allowed the offense to sustain a tempo that became a defining characteristic for this version of SMU. The Mustangs’ dominance was apparent in conference play, as they won seven of nine games by double digits. The top-ten offense shredded its way to Charlotte, averaging 36 points per game and over 400 yards of total offense every Saturday. While the competition that came their way was argued to be incredibly inferior, still, the Mustangs found themselves reasonably safe regardless of the result of the ACC Championship. Along came the Tigers. Reeling from a loss to South Carolina, new life was granted to Dabo Swinney’s program after Syracuse overwhelmed Miami a week prior. That new life in Charlotte appeared not to be taken for granted, as Clemson stormed out to a 31-14 lead, appearing to easily secure a bid for the postseason on Championship Saturday. SMU had other plans, storming back in the fourth quarter to evenly knot the score at 31. The Mustangs rally was enough for the committee to send them to the playoff, but Lashlee’s group had to watch Nolan Hauser clinch Clemson’s spot in the CFP with a last-second field goal. As the seeding was arranged, the Mustangs had a trip to Happy Valley, facing Penn State in the first round. Early on, a litany of turnovers made life impossible for Jennings and the offense, as the Nittany Lions simply overwhelmed the opposition, quickly advancing to the CFP Quarterfinals. Despite the postseason blowout, the Mustangs' first season in the P4 should be considered a massive accomplishment. With a rising recruiting class and a top-30 transfer class, SMU should have plenty to work with to compete for an ACC title once again. 2025 Recruiting Class Overall Rank: 32nd Top Signees: Five-star OT Dramodd Odoms (Houston, TX), Four-star WR Jalen Cooper (Cibolo, TX) SMU’s 2025 recruiting class is highlighted by one of the best tackles in the nation. Odoms is a local product that can immediately contribute to a high-power offense. Also, the Mustangs signed Jalen Cooper and Daylon Singleton, an in-state four-star talent that will add unique depth to the wide receiver room next fall. Lashlee also may have his quarterback of the future, signing IMG’s Ty Hawkins. Hawkins, however, has some outlets reporting that TCU may not be out of the race yet for his services. 2025 Transfer Class Overall Rank: 26th Top Commitments: OL Joshua Bates (Oklahoma), Marcellus Barnes Jr. (Syracuse) The Mustangs' 14 commitments in the transfer portal should add serious players to the roster and provide depth to a team that’s ready to compete once again in the CFP. SMU’s commitment to restructuring the offensive line through the portal and high school recruitment is evident, with two top transfers coming from Arkansas and Oklahoma. Barnes, who transferred from Syracuse, was noted as one of the Orange’s most promising recruits in recent memory. Barnes played five games in 2024, but missed significant time due to injury. Moving into 2025, SMU is reloaded and ready to compete for a championship that was in the grasp of one of the ACC’s new kids on the block, and a rematch with Clemson will be a shot at redemption. Clemson schedule series: Georgia Tech2025 Clemson Schedule Series: SMU
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