Clemson football will kick off preseason practice on Aug. 6 as Dabo Swinney tries to steer the Tigers back after a rough 2025 season.
That 7-6 finish kept Clemson out of the ACC championship game and the College Football Playoff, and it stood as the second-worst season of Swinney’s full 17-year run. In response, Swinney overhauled parts of the staff, leaned on the transfer portal more than he ever has and worked to keep some of the program’s top talent in place.
The biggest question hanging over camp is quarterback. Cade Klubnik’s three-year run is over because of expiring eligibility, and Swinney passed on bringing in a portal quarterback.
Instead, Clemson is staying with the players it has developed, leaving the job battle to fourth-year quarterback Christopher Vizzina and freshman Tait Reynolds. Vizzina is viewed as the frontrunner, but Clemson has not named a Week 1 starter.
The Tigers open the season Sept. 5 at LSU in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Clemson’s 2026 schedule also includes Georgia Southern on Sept. 12, North Carolina on Sept. 19, a late-night trip to Cal on Sept.
25, Miami on Oct. 3, an open date on Oct. 10, Charleston Southern on Oct.
17, Virginia Tech on Oct. 24, Florida State on Oct.
31, Syracuse on Nov. 7, Georgia Tech on Nov.
14, Duke on Nov. 20 and South Carolina on Nov. 28.
The Duke game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Swinney also reshaped the coaching staff. Chad Morris is in as offensive coordinator, replacing Garrett Riley, who was fired.
Tom Allen takes over as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Tajh Boyd was promoted to quarterbacks coach after Riley’s firing, while Nolan Turner moved up to replace Mickey Conn at safety.
Thomas Allen was promoted to defensive pass game coordinator, and Dennis Love was elevated to strength coach after Joey Batson retired.
Other primary assistants include C.J. Spiller at running backs, Tyler Grisham at wide receivers, Kyle Richardson at tight ends, Matt Luke at offensive line, Chris Rumph at defensive end, Nick Eason at defensive tackle, Ben Bouleware at linebacker, Mike Reed at cornerback and Corico Wright, who was hired from Delaware to coach nickelbacks.
Clemson brings back a core that includes wide receivers Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore, tight end Olsen Patt-Henry, offensive linemen Harris Sewell and Collin Sadler, defensive end Will Heldt, linebackers Sammy Brown and Jeremiah Alexander, cornerback Ashton Hampton, kicker Nolan Hauser and punter Jack Smith. Defensive starters are listed from base 4-3 personnel.
The Tigers also lost a long list of starters, including Klubnik, running back Adam Randall, wide receiver Antonio Williams, offensive linemen Blake Miller, Tristan Leigh and Ryan Linthiucm, defensive end T.J. Parker, defensive tackles Peter Woods and DeMonte Capehart, linebacker Wade Woodaz, cornerback Avieon Terrell and safeties Khalil Barnes and Ricardo Jones.
In the portal, Clemson added Luke Ferrelli, who transferred from Cal to Clemson before re-entering the portal and heading to Ole Miss. The Tigers also lost Keith Adams Jr. to Georgia State, Parker Fulghum to Louisiana-Monroe, Josh Sapp to West Virginia, Rowan Byrne to North Carolina, Markus Dixon to Oregon, Stephiylan Green to LSU, Jamal Anderson to SMU, Dee Crayton to UNLV, Michael Manaka, Shelton Lewis to Arkansas, Ricardo Jones to Vanderbilt, Rob Billings to Jacksonville State, Khalil Barnes to Georgia and Marquise Henderson to Samford.
Clemson signed 22 high school players and one junior college recruit in its 2026 class, a group ranked 20th nationally and fourth in the ACC by the 247Sports Composite. The class includes quarterbacks Tait Reynolds and Brock Bradley; receivers Naeem Burroughs, Gordon Sellars, Connor Salmin, Keil McGriff and Cam Blivens; tight end Tayveon Wilson; offensive linemen Leo Delaney, Carter Scruggs, Chancellor Barclay, Adam Guthrie, Braden Wilmes and Grant Wise; defensive ends J.R. Hardrick and Michael Foster; defensive tackle Kam Cody; JUCO defensive tackle Andy Burburija; linebacker Brayden Reilly; cornerbacks Shavar Young Jr. and Marcell Gipson; safety Polo Anderson; and long snapper Jackson Reach.
In Other News...
Sammy Brown Opens Up About What Max Joining Clemson Means
The chance to line up with a younger brother is rare enough in college football, and Sammy Brown is already thinking about what it will mean when Max Brown arrives at Clemson in the 2027 recruiting class. The junior linebacker said he is grateful for the opportunity to share the field with Max again after doing so in high school, a family connection that adds another layer to a program that has already become central to both brothers football lives.
Sammy also made clear that Max will have to carve out his own path once he gets to Clemson, rather than simply living in his older brothers shadow. For now, Sammys attention stays on the Tigers 2026 season, with any NFL Draft decision something he plans to sort out after the year, but the idea of another Brown in the locker room is already giving Clemson fans something to watch down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons Decline Narrative Ignores One Huge 2026 Reality
The talk around Clemson and Dabo Swinney has only grown louder whenever the Tigers hit a rough patch, but one former Tiger who now works for ACC Network is pushing back on the idea that the program is slipping. Eric Mac Lain points to the kind of roster Clemson still has assembled, from elite talent at receiver to offensive line help when healthy, and he frames the Tigers as a team that remains built to contend rather than one fading into the background.
The bigger reason the debate is likely to linger is what Clemson has lined up next, starting with a trip to Baton Rouge for an early measuring-stick game against LSU. The Tigers also enter 2026 with major staff continuity and change working at the same time, including Chad Morris back on offense and an expected Year 2 jump on defense under Tom Allen, which should make the next step in the programs arc a lot clearer once the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
National Critic Just Took Dabos Clemson Defense To Another Level
Dabo Swinney built Clemson into one of college footballs defining powers during a blistering run from 2015 through 2019, a stretch that included a 71-5 record and four trips to the national championship game. That history still carries real weight, even as the Tigers have spent the last few seasons trying to recapture the standard that once made them a fixture at the top of the sport.
Paul Finebaum took aim at that disconnect on a recent broadcast, saying Swinneys defense of Clemsons place in the national conversation no longer matches what has happened on the field. The criticism lands harder because Clemson is coming off a 7-6 season after consecutive four-loss years and a preseason No. 4 ranking, leaving the program in the awkward spot of being judged against its own peak while outsiders wonder whether the slide is temporary or something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]