Whoever expected Clemson’s ACC opener to feel like a nail-biter probably didn’t have Saturday afternoon circled this way a few weeks ago. But here we are: the 1-1 Tigers host the 2-0 North Carolina Tar Heels at Memorial Stadium, and with Tait Reynolds set for his first career start at quarterback, the pressure has shifted fast. FanDuel Sportsbook has Clemson laying just 3.5 points at home, which tells you plenty about how tight this one could get.
Reynolds may be talented, but he won’t be asked to carry this alone. If Clemson is going to come out of Death Valley with a win, a few key teammates have to do some heavy lifting around him.
Vic Burley is one of the biggest swing factors in the trenches. He’s probably the most talented player on Clemson’s defensive line, but he’s also been inconsistent and is coming off an indefinite suspension.
Dabo Swinney brought him back for a reason, and Clemson needs that move to pay off quickly. Belchick’s teams lean on ball control, so the Tigers can’t afford to get pushed around against the run.
Clemson handled Georgia Southern much better last week, holding the Eagles to 22 rushing yards, but the Tigers still gave up more than 300 on the ground to the Bayou Bengals of Baton Rouge. Burley’s impact may not always jump off the stat sheet, but Clemson’s defense needs him to be a positive force.
Special teams also looms large, and Nolan Hauser has already shown he can steady things. He put Clemson on the board first in Week 1’s debacle in Tiger Stadium, then carried that momentum into last week’s closer-than-expected game against Georgia Southern.
Outside of Christopher Vizzina’s lone touchdown pass on the season, Hauser accounted for the rest of Clemson’s 16 points against Georgia Southern, and he was perfect on all five field goal attempts. If Clemson is going to beat Belichick’s Tar Heels, that kind of reliability matters.
The good news is North Carolina is not where it needs to be on special teams.
On offense, TJ Moore has become the most dependable receiver in a passing game that still needs more answers. Bryant Wesco Jr. may have the higher ceiling, but Moore has been the more productive target through two games, with 11 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.
That already tops the kind of production he managed in his first two Clemson seasons, when he finished with 45 and 52 receptions. He also logged his first 100-yard game of the year last week.
If Moore and Reynolds start building chemistry right away, Clemson’s passing game gets a boost, Reynolds gets confidence, and the rest of the offense has a better chance to breathe.
Corey Myrick is another player Clemson may lean on if the game turns tense. The safety transfer from Southern Miss has become one of the more important additions on the roster, and he’s already part of a secondary that looks far better than the one Clemson had last year.
Swinney took a real gamble by bringing in three starting-level defensive backs through the portal, and Myrick, Jerome Carter III, and Elliot Washington II have all delivered. Myrick’s background suggests he’s ready for moments like this, too: he said he lost all of his games during his senior year in high school.
Against a North Carolina offense that is still a work in progress, Clemson will look for him to help keep Billy Edwards Jr. in check.
And then there’s Harris Sewell, who may end up being the most important piece of all. Clemson’s offensive line has been a letdown through two games after being expected to be a strength.
The Tigers haven’t run the ball well, and pass protection has wobbled at times. With Brayden Jacobs not trusted right now at left tackle, Sewell’s role becomes even bigger.
As Clemson’s starting center, he’ll have to handle some of the pre-snap responsibility for Reynolds in his first start and keep the unit functioning as one. If Sewell can get the line organized and moving together, Clemson has a real shot to open conference play 1-0.
If not, things could get messy in a hurry.
In Other News...
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Among the most notable names were four-star linebacker Jay Schell and cornerback Domonic Williams Jr., two prospects who could help give Clemson some immediate momentum if things break the right way. Schell is expected to decide soon, while Williams already has multiple offers, leaving the Tigers with reason to believe the opening weekend visit could pay off in a meaningful way as they look to build the foundation around Hawkins. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons 2027 Schedule Brings Back One ACC Debate Fans Know Well
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Exact dates still have to be filled in later, but the framework alone is enough to revive a familiar debate around Clemsons place in the ACC schedule. For fans, it is the kind of arrangement that immediately raises questions about competitive balance, strength of schedule and how the league wants to define fairness as it keeps adjusting the format for its 17 programs. [Read more 🡒]
Dabo Swinney Enters Rare Death Valley Company Against North Carolina
Dabo Swinney has seen plenty of accomplished coaches come through Memorial Stadium, but the latest one on the opposite sideline brings a different kind of weight to the matchup. Clemsons meeting with North Carolina is being framed less as a routine ACC test and more as a rare coaching collision, with Bill Belichick on the guest side and Swinney continuing to build a rsum that already sits comfortably among the most notable in the sport.
The broader conversation around the game has also turned into a Hall of Fame thought experiment, because both coaches occupy a space where the future is part of the present. Belichicks pro football legacy is already secure, while Swinneys place in college football history only keeps growing as Clemson keeps drawing elite company at home. The backdrop is familiar enough for Tigers fans, but the stakes around who is standing on the opposite sideline make this one feel a little different. [Read more 🡒]