The preseason USA Today/Coaches Top 25 is out, and in South Carolina, only Clemson found a spot in the rankings.
The Tigers checked in at No. 23 in the Aug. 4 poll, the lowest preseason position they’ve had since their Top 25 streak began in 2012. South Carolina, meanwhile, fell just outside the cut with 50 votes, which puts the Gamecocks around 30th.
That’s a notable shift from a year ago. South Carolina opened last season ranked 13th, while Clemson started at No. 6.
For the Gamecocks, the ranking snub comes after a rough 4-8 season in 2025, including a 1-7 mark in SEC play. Even so, Shane Beamer kept the core of his roster together, holding onto the “big 3” of quarterback LaNorris Sellers, wide receiver Nyck Harbor and edge rusher Dylan Stewart for 2026.
Beamer also added the No. 14 recruiting class and No. 19 transfer class this offseason, according to 247Sports. The offense, which finished 109th nationally last season, will now be directed by new coordinator Kendal Briles.
Clemson’s path into this season looks different, but not exactly settled. The Tigers went 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the ACC last year, then moved on from offensive coordinator Garrett Riley after the 2025 season and brought back Chad Morris, who ran Dabo Swinney’s offense from 2011-14.
They’ll also have a new starting quarterback after Cade Klubnik was drafted by the New York Jets in the 2026 NFL draft. Klubnik was one of nine Clemson players selected.
The two programs open on the same night, Sept. 5. South Carolina hosts Kent State, while Clemson heads to Baton Rouge for a matchup with LSU and Lane Kiffin.
Ohio State topped the preseason poll, followed by Oregon and Georgia. Texas was fourth, Notre Dame fifth and Indiana sixth. Miami came in seventh, then Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Ole Miss to round out the top 10.
Alabama was 11th, with Texas Tech, LSU, Southern Cal and BYU next. Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Washington, SMU, Utah and Iowa followed before Clemson at No.
- Houston and Missouri completed the rankings.
In Other News...
Clemsons New Offense Puts One Backfield Battle Front And Center
Clemsons ground game is getting a reset heading into the 2026 season, and the reshuffling starts in the backfield. After finishing near the bottom of the ACC in rushing offense last year, the Tigers have moved aggressively to change the look of the unit under new offensive coordinator Chad Morris, bringing in 11 transfers and adding SMUs Chris Johnson Jr. to a room that also includes returning sophomore Gideon Davidson and seniors Jay Haynes and Jarvis Greene.
C.J. Spiller has made it clear the competition is wide open as spring and summer work begin, with the running backs coach describing the room as starting over and everyone effectively trying to establish a new hierarchy. Davidson is among the players being pushed to take a bigger role, but Clemson still has multiple backs with something to prove, and the way that battle unfolds could go a long way toward telling whether the Tigers new offense finds the balance it needs. [Read more 🡒]
Clelin Ferrell Gets Another NFL Shot With Plenty Still To Prove
Clelin Ferrells NFL path has already taken him through a handful of stops since the Raiders made him the fourth overall pick in 2019, and the former Clemson standout is now trying to make the most of another chance with the Dolphins. After time with the 49ers, Commanders and Chargers, Ferrell arrives in Miami with seven seasons of experience, 184 tackles and 21 sacks, a rsum that says he has been around the league long enough to know how quickly opportunities can disappear.
For Ferrell, the appeal of this latest restart is as much about fit as it is about reputation. He is working under new head coach Jeff Hafley and talking about consistency as the key to turning his career back in the right direction, with a clear desire to keep proving doubters wrong. The talent has never been the question for a player taken that high in the draft, but the next stretch will go a long way toward showing whether this Dolphins stop can become more than just another checkpoint. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Preseason Ranking Says Everything About Expectations Right Now
The preseason coaches poll offered a blunt snapshot of where Clemson stands heading into 2026, and it is not the kind of September-building optimism Tigers fans have gotten used to under Dabo Swinney. Clemson landed at No. 23 in the USA Today Sports rankings, a mark that reflects how far expectations have slipped after a disappointing 2025 season and the programs lowest preseason spot under Swinney since 2011.
South Carolina is in a similarly uneasy place, though the Gamecocks did at least receive votes after finishing 4-8 last season under Shane Beamer. They are tied for No. 30 in the unofficial count with 50 voting points, a reminder that both sides of the border are trying to reset rather than simply reload, and neither enters the fall with the kind of national standing either program is used to carrying. [Read more 🡒]