Clemson is headed into the 2026 season on the outside of the AP preseason Top 25 for the first time since 2011.
The Tigers landed in the “others receiving votes” group when the AP poll was released Aug. 17, collecting 112 votes - the most of any team not ranked in the top 25. That still fell short of a spot in the rankings, even though the coaches were more optimistic earlier this month and put Clemson at No. 23 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll on Aug. 4.
The preseason absence fits a rough stretch for Dabo Swinney’s program. Clemson went 7-6 in 2025, the first time Swinney finished with fewer than nine wins since the 2010 season, when the Tigers lost six games. Clemson’s year ended with a 22-10 loss to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl.
The Tigers will get a fast test to open the season, with a primetime ABC matchup at LSU on Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET. That game also marks the start of the Lane Kiffin era in Baton Rouge after Kiffin made the most talked about coaching move of last year, leaving Ole Miss before its playoff run to take the LSU job.
LSU enters the season at No. 11 in both the AP and coaches polls, despite also finishing last year unranked.
South Carolina also missed out on the AP Top 25 after a difficult 2025 season. Shane Beamer’s team went 4-8 and closed with a 28-14 loss to Clemson.
The Gamecocks picked up 10 votes in the preseason poll and open against Kent State on Sept. 5 at 12:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
At the top of the AP preseason poll, Ohio State claimed the No. 1 spot with 1,672 points and 40 first-place votes, followed by Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas. Indiana checked in at No. 6 with eight first-place votes, while Miami, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Oklahoma rounded out the top 10.
The rest of the AP Top 25: LSU, Texas Tech, Alabama, BYU, Southern Cal, Michigan, Washington, Penn State, SMU, Tennessee, Utah, Iowa, Houston, Louisville and Missouri.
Among teams receiving votes, Clemson’s 112 led Florida’s 51, Boise State’s 43, Arizona’s 32 and the rest of the field that followed.
In Other News...
Clemson Suddenly Has A Real Question At Wide Receiver
Clemsons receiver room picked up an unexpected layer of uncertainty in the middle of fall camp when Cole Turner stopped practicing and stepped away from the program to attend to personal matters, according to team sources. Turner is still listed on the official roster, but his absence has already become part of the conversation as the Tigers sort out their depth and roles at wide receiver heading into the season.
For a position group that can shift quickly in August, losing a player who had been around the program since camp opened changes the feel of the room even if the door remains open for a later return. Clemson is treating the situation with patience for now, and there is still a chance Turner could come back before the season ends, but for the moment the Tigers are left planning without knowing when, or if, hell be back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Still Has One Huge Offensive Line Question Before LSU
Less than three weeks before Clemson opens against LSU, the offensive line is still a work in progress after four starters moved on from last season. Senior center Harris Sewell and fifth-year guard Collin Sadler have emerged as the most settled pieces, giving the Tigers at least a foundation in the middle, but the rest of the unit is still being sorted out as camp continues.
The staff has kept moving players around at tackle and guard while looking for the right mix, which makes this one of the more important lingering questions on the roster. Clemson is also encouraged by senior running back Jarvis Green, who has shown promise in preseason scrimmages after coming back from a knee injury, and Dabo Swinney has pointed to the value of working through the summer heat as another part of the preparation. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Opener Just Became A Test Of Dabos Whole Message
Clemsons season opener against LSU has already carried the usual weight of a marquee matchup, but it has taken on a little extra edge after Dabo Swinneys recent bunch of nobodies remark drew heat from Paul Finebaum. Finebaums critique did not stop at the quote itself, either, as he framed it as part of a bigger question about where Clemson stands after last years disappointing 7-6 finish and whether the program can get back to its standard quickly enough to quiet the noise.
The stakes around this one are bigger than just a Week 1 result because it also lands right in the middle of the broader conversation about Swinneys future. Finebaum suggested another mediocre season could force Clemsons administration to at least think about moving on, even with the massive buyout that comes with such a decision. For now, the Tigers get LSU and a national stage, which is exactly the kind of setting that can either reinforce Swinneys message or make the criticism around it even louder. [Read more 🡒]