Who Could be Elite
Will Clemson return to elite status in 2025? I have doubts because once teams fall off that perch, it seems nearly impossible to return under the same coach.
Clemson returns an experienced quarterback in Cade Klubnik. They will return a proven offensive coordinator, and they hired one of the better defensive minds as defensive coordinator, Tom Allen. They have one of the more talented teams in the ACC but haven't used the transfer portal much, which could come back to bite them.
Clemson lost four games last year and lucked into the ACC title game when Syracuse upset Miami. They lost two home games last year and didn't look like an elite team when they played Texas in the playoffs.
Did they get that much better in the offseason? Will Allen make that much of a difference as DC? I have doubts, but if any ACC team can reach that status, they are the closest to having all of the ingredients.