ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy is placing Clemson higher in his preseason rankings than most national pundits, slating the Tigers at No. 18 in his initial Top 25 release. However, the former Alabama signal-caller cautioned against over-hyping an immediate championship revival in Death Valley.
“18th for Clemson is saying that they’re probably going to beat somebody that they’re probably not supposed to beat,” McElroy said on his ESPN podcast. “But I am not paying August prices for a resurrection right now. I think they’re going to be good. I think they’re going to be real good. I just don’t know if they’re quite a Playoff contender because there is a tougher path in the ACC than some might suggest.”
Talent vs. Production & Portal Roster Overhaul
Reflecting on Clemson’s recent roster turnover and output, McElroy pointed out the contrast between the program’s NFL draft numbers and its record on the field.
“Clemson had a bunch of guys drafted last year in 2026. They had nine. That’s a school-record-tying number for a team that finished just barely above .500, which tells you the talent really wasn’t ever really the issue,” McElroy said. “They lost 14 players to the portal, and they responded with the largest incoming portal class in program history. They brought in 11 guys.”
Chad Morris’s Return & Quarterback Competition
The central story on offense revolves around the return of offensive coordinator Chad Morris and an ongoing quarterback battle between incumbent starter Christopher Vizzina and freshman Tait Reynolds—a competitive race McElroy compared to Clemson’s quarterback decision eight years ago.
“Now the fix on offense is a familiar face, Chad Morris is back running that offense. The quarterback situation is the first real competition Clemson has had since 2018. That was when Trevor Lawrence ultimately beat out Kelly Bryant after three or four games. So Christopher Vizzina is the guy to start with, and as Dabo has said, has the pole position. Now he has one real audition on tape as well, he started the SMU game last year. Threw for over 315 yards and three touchdowns. They did lose that game, and losing to SMU, there’s no shame in that. They were a really explosive offense, but behind Vizzina, is Tait Reynolds. Who has kinda shaken up the race a little bit, and Dabo made a point of saying that they have deliberately did not go and get, in his words, a ‘a shiny object out of the portal,'” McElroy explained.
McElroy emphasized that head coach Dabo Swinney’s transfer portal stance will face immediate evaluation on the field: “That is a bit of a philosophical stand, and whether it will look principled or stubborn will be determined by Halloween.”
Elite Receivers & Offensive Line Questions
Regardless of who ultimately wins the starting quarterback job, McElroy expressed strong confidence in Clemson’s skill players, highlighted by Bryant Wesco, T.J. Moore, and Naeem Burroughs.
“What makes me comfortable, though, is that I look at what Vizzina and/or Reynolds — what they have to throw to,” McElroy said. “They have Bryant Wesco, who did a great job in just seven games last year…Had a season-ending injury, but he’s full-go for camp. T.J. Moore led the team last year, had over 830 yards. That’s a really good 1-2 punch. You also got Naeem Burroughs as a breakout candidate. Everyone in the building keeps bringing up unsolicited. You also have a couple of really good pieces at tight end. So you have an elite receiver room. And a pretty good crutch to hand a first-time starting quarterback, and it could very easily convert maybe a bad decision in a contested catch into a 15-20 yard gain.”
However, McElroy raised immediate concerns regarding the offensive line ahead of Clemson’s marquee season opener.
“Now the offensive line has just two starters back, which is a real concern, and they open at LSU on September 5, which if you’re keeping score, is gonna be a really good team,” McElroy noted.
Week 1 Matchup Against Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers
Clemson’s opening opponent, LSU, was slotted at No. 14 in McElroy’s rankings under first-year head coach Lane Kiffin.
“I believe this, I believe Lane Kiffin is going to win big at LSU,” McElroy said. “I just don’t know if Year 1 is the year where it all clicks, and the schedule, guys, no one is really identifying the schedule as an absolute beast. And we know that no one is actually going to be patient while they sort things out. Opening against Clemson, having nine difficult SEC games, there could be a couple growing pains here, which is why I have them a little lower than most. But the ceiling for LSU is as high as anyone that we’ve listed on this show at this point.”
