Clemson football is among the early favorites to make their long-awaited return to the College Football Play-offs in 2024.
The Tigers, who finished ranked #20 in the final AP poll of the just-concluded season, returns a plethora of talent and experience, coupled with multiple incoming stars, and that has improved confidence in Clemson’s chances next season. The road will not be an easy one, however, and different outlets have varying degrees of confidence in the Tigers.
Of five outlets that have offered way-too-early projections on the 2024 season, three of them have Clemson football returning to the playoffs. That level of certainty is buoyed by the fact the play-offs are expanding to a 12-team format next season which gives me room for error in terms of absorbing any potential losses. All of the major conference champions are a virtual lock to make the field, with seven at-large teams rounding out the pack.
Athlon Sports, Bleacher Report, and The Fifth Outlet all have the Tigers in the play-off field, with Athlon and Bleacher Report projecting Clemson as the number three overall seed. Sporting News and Longhorns Wire, for what the latter is worth, do not have the Tigers making the play-offs. Bleacher Report is the highest on Clemson, with a prognostication that sees the Tigers ranked 10th nationally and winning the ACC championship for the eighth time in 10 seasons.
Clemson’s 2024 schedule is starting to take shape as well. While it is not loaded with potential top-10 match-ups, two games immediately stand out. The Tigers open with Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as part of the Chik-Fil-A Kick-off Classic. Clemson will travel to Tallahassee to take on the Florida State Seminoles and former Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei on a date to be determined.
Home games for the Tigers include tilts with Louisville, South Carolina, and newly minted member of the ACC, Stanford. The Tigers and Cardinal have played only once, a Clemson victory in 1986. A win over the Bulldogs right out of the gate would certainly open some eyes Clemson’s way, as well as bolster the confidence of a team that is already entering the new season on a high note. National sentiment surrounding Clemson football has been steadily diminishing for several seasons, and nothing would catch the attention of the national media more than taking down Kirby Smart and Georgia in their backyard.
There is certainly a path for the Tigers to make a run towards the playoffs and a possible national championship in 2024. Quarterback Cade Klubnik will be in his true junior season and counted on to take the definitive leap in his college career to elite status. Phil Mafah is projected to return as RB1, and the receiver room should be much improved with Antonio Williams, Tyler Brown, Cole Turner, Adam Randall, and Troy Stellato all returning, plus the additions of T.J. Moore and 5-star Bryant Wesco in the 2024 recruiting class.
Defensively, Clemson is in great shape with Barrett Carter returning for his senior season to lead the linebackers, Peter Woods, T.J. Parker, and Demonte Capehart leading the defensive front, and with a secondary patrolled by talented sophomores Khalil Barnes and Avieon Terrell among others.
There is much to be excited about surrounding Clemson football. After starting 4-4 in 2023, the Tigers won five straight, two top-20 match-ups over Notre Dame and North Carolina, and a win over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl to close out the campaign strong. There is a ton of momentum on the Tigers’ side entering next season. Clemson needs to ride that wave and capitalize on their abundance of chances to return to national prominence.
