Clemson heads into 2026 with plenty to sort out after a 7-6 season, but not every part of the roster is starting from scratch. Dabo Swinney has 11 transfers in the mix and a wave of young players expected to grow up fast, yet the Tigers still have a few position groups that look like real strengths on paper.
The clearest bright spot is at wide receiver, where Clemson lost Antonio Williams to the NFL draft but kept Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore. That matters because both juniors had options after offensive coordinator Garrett Riley was fired and Cade Klubnik’s eligibility expired, but instead they’re back and could form one of the ACC’s best receiver duos.
Wesco’s 2025 season was cut short by a back injury, but in seven games he still posted 31 catches for 537 yards and six touchdowns. He also showed what he could do as a freshman, finishing with 41 receptions for 708 yards and five scores. Moore was Clemson’s leading receiver in 2025, putting up 52 catches for 837 yards and four touchdowns.
That duo gives the Tigers a real foundation, and there’s more behind them. Tyler Brown, Cole Turner, Tristan Smith and three freshmen are next in line, with top signee Naeem Burroughs standing out among that group. For the passing game to really click, Clemson will need first-year starter Christopher Vizzina or Tait Reynolds to deliver, but the talent at receiver is still the best thing the offense has going.
Running back is another room with plenty to like. Gideon Davidson steps in as the top option after backing up Adam Randall last season, when he ran for 260 yards on 60 carries and added 11 catches for 93 yards in 13 games. He’ll be the starter, but Clemson has more than one way to attack defenses.
Chris Johnson Jr., the Tigers’ top offensive portal pickup, brings speed that can matter both on the ground and in the passing game. David Eziomume gives the group a power element, while Jay Haynes is back after missing last season with a torn ACL suffered in the 2024 ACC championship.
There’s also reason to think the ground game could get a boost from new offensive coordinator Chad Morris, who has already shown he likes to lean on the run. During his previous stint at Clemson from 2011-14, the Tigers had a 1,000-yard rusher in three of four seasons: Andre Ellington and Roderick McDowell.
On defense, Clemson’s edge rushers stand out as the strongest unit. The Tigers did lose T.J.
Parker to the NFL draft, but they kept Will Heldt, the Purdue transfer who led Clemson in sacks and tackles for loss last season. Jahiem Lawson is also back and entering his fifth year after setting a career high in sacks.
There’s depth here, too. Darien Mayo, Colorado transfer London Merritt, Howard transfer CJ Weasley and Ari Watford all give Clemson options in the rotation. Mayo and Merritt flashed speed and power in the spring game, Weasley arrives from the FCS level, and Watford has developed enough to be used in sets.
In Other News...
Clemson Just Got Hit With Another National Disrespect Moment
Pro Football Focus rolled out its preseason top 50 college football players for 2026, and Clemson came away empty-handed. For a program that still expects to be judged among the sports elite, the omission of obvious candidates from last season only adds to the sense that the Tigers are being treated more like an afterthought than a contender.
Sammy Brown and Will Heldt were among the most notable names left off, and Clemsons receivers also got no love in a separate PFF ranking that was trimmed to just a handful of players nationally. The Tigers will get a chance to answer some of that noise soon enough, with Miami and PFF-picked receiver Malachi Toney coming to town on Oct. 3 in a game that already has the feel of a useful measuring stick. [Read more 🡒]
Jahiem Lawson Became The Clemson Payoff Fans Love To See
Jahiem Lawsons path to becoming a useful Clemson defensive end started long before he arrived in orange, when football was still the sport he was being nudged toward. Once he got to Clemson in 2022, the transition was as much about his body as his position, and the early version of Lawson was a lean edge player still learning how to hold up against college footballs size and speed.
The payoff has come the way these stories often do in Clemson, through patience and steady development rather than a sudden leap. Lawson kept adding weight, kept refining his game and kept earning more snaps until last season he was producing in a rotational role, and now hes being mentioned as a preseason All-ACC pick entering 2026. For a program that prides itself on finding and shaping its own answers, hes exactly the kind of result fans like to see. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Star Tee Higgins Just Earned Major NFL Respect
Tee Higgins has spent enough time in the NFL now to move beyond the promising former Clemson receiver label, and this season only strengthened that case. After a strong 2025 campaign with 59 catches, 846 yards and 11 touchdowns in 15 games, Higgins earned his first Pro Bowl nod and kept adding to a rsum that has steadily grown since he left Death Valley for the pros.
The latest sign of that respect came from CBS Sports, which placed Higgins and JaMarr Chase atop its wide receiver duo rankings. Higgins has also been recognized by Pro Football Focus on the Bengals all-time franchise team, a nod that speaks to how consistently he has performed when healthy and productive. For Clemson fans, it is another reminder that Higgins is no longer just part of a great college pipeline, but one of the leagues more respected receivers in his own right. [Read more 🡒]