Clemson Climbs to No. 2 in ESPN's Post-Spring Top 25, Trails Only Penn State
The Tigers are roaring back into the national spotlight.
Fresh off an ACC title and a return to the College Football Playoff, Clemson is surging in the latest ESPN preseason rankings. Senior writer Mark Schlabach released his updated Way-Too-Early Top 25 following spring ball and transfer portal movement — and Clemson now sits at No. 2 in the nation, trailing only Penn State.
Advertisement
That's a significant jump from January, when the Tigers were ranked No. 7 in the immediate aftermath of the 2024 season. Now, as the 2025 campaign approaches, the national buzz is back — and louder than ever.
Dabo Swinney, Clemson Tigers Football
'There's no reason Clemson shouldn't be in the thick of the national title race,' Schlabach wrote — and he has the receipts to back it up.
At the center of it all? Quarterback Cade Klubnik, entering his third year as a starter and coming off a breakout 2024 in which he accounted for 43 total touchdowns. He returns behind a seasoned offensive line and will be throwing to one of the deepest wide receiver corps in the nation, led by Antonio Williams.
Advertisement
The only lingering question is at running back. With Phil Mafah off to the NFL and Jay Haynes recovering from a torn ACL, Clemson may turn to a committee approach — featuring converted wideout Adam Randall and freshman standouts David Eziomume and Gideon Davidson, the latter of whom was ranked as ESPN's No. 3 RB in the Class of 2025.
Defensively, the Tigers are looking for a major leap — and they may have found the key by hiring Tom Allen as defensive coordinator. The former Indiana head coach and recent Penn State assistant is tasked with fixing a run defense that ranked next-to-last in the ACC in 2024.
Schlabach points to former Purdue edge rusher Will Heldt, who logged five sacks last season, as a valuable addition to an already elite defensive line that includes future NFL Draft picks Peter Woods and T.J. Parker.
Clemson opens the 2025 season in Death Valley against No. 6 LSU, a game that could immediately set the tone for a title run. The Tigers will also face ranked opponents in SMU (No. 15) and Louisville (No. 22) later in the season, with archrival South Carolina (No. 13) looming in the regular-season finale.
Other notable rankings:
Texas checks in at No. 3
Advertisement
Georgia at No. 4
Ohio State rounds out the top five
Former Clemson DC Brent Venables' Oklahoma is No. 25
With preseason rankings also placing Clemson at No. 5 (USA Today) and No. 4 (CBS Sports), consensus is building: Dabo Swinney has the firepower to chase another national championship.
And with a top-tier quarterback, depth across the board, and a schedule that offers plenty of chances to prove it, the Tigers are no longer sneaking up on anyone. They're right back in the hunt — and according to ESPN, just one step away from the top.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area sports calendar, June 12-13
THURSDAY BASEBALL 10a Texas at Minnesota MLB Net Noon Giants at Colorado NBCSBA (680, 104.5) 4:30p N.Y. Yankees at Kansas City MLB Net 6:05p Minors: Ballers at Missoula (860) CRICKET 6p Major League Cricket: S.F. Unicorns vs. Washington, at Oakland Coliseum FOOTBALL 5:30p CFL: British Columbia at Winnipeg CBSSN GOLF 3:30a U.S. Open USA Noon LPGA: Meijer LPGA Classic GOLF NHL PLAYOFFS 5p Stanley Cup Finals, Game 4: Edmonton at Florida TNT TruTV (1050) SOFTBALL 4p Athletes Unlimited: Volts vs. Bandits ESPN2 TRACK AND FIELD 4p NCAA Championships ESPN FRIDAY BASEBALL 11a Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs MLB Net 4p N.Y. Yankees at Boston MLB Net 5p A's at Kansas City NBCSCA (960) 5:30p Minors: Ballers at Ogden (860) 7p Giants at L.A. Dodgers Channel 11 NBCSBA (680, 104.5) 7p Cleveland at Seattle MLB Net COLLEGE BASEBALL College World Series 11a Game 1: Arizona vs. Coastal Carolina ESPN 4p Game 2: Louisville vs. Oregon State ESPN CRICKET 6p Major League Cricket: New York vs. Texas, at Oakland Coliseum GOLF 10a U.S. Open Channel 11 Channel 3 Channel 8 Noon Meijer LPGA Classic GOLF MOTOR SPORTS 10:25a F1: Canadian Grand Prix practice ESPNU 1:55p F1: Canadian Grand Prix practice ESPNU NBA FINALS 5:30p Game 4: Oklahoma City at Indiana Channel 7 Channel 10 (1050) SOCCER 7p NWSL: Orlando at Bay FC Prime Video 7:30p MLS: Earthquakes at Portland FS1 (810) SOFTBALL 3:30p Athletes Unlimited: Talons vs. Blaze MLB Net 6p Athletes Unlimited: Volts vs. Bandits MLB Net TRACK AND FIELD 5p NCAA Championships ESPN2 VOLLEYBALL 5p AVP: Miami CBSSN WNBA 4:30p Chicago at Atlanta Ion 7p Dallas at Las Vegas Ion
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
ESPN NBA booth facing another potential shakeup with Doris Burke's spot in limbo
The 2025 NBA Finals could be the first and last for ESPN's current top broadcasting trio. The future of the booth featuring longtime play-by-play voice Mike Breen and analysts Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson is up in the air, as Burke's spot 'is not guaranteed for next season' and Jefferson is on an expiring contract, The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported Wednesday. Advertisement Jefferson has drawn interest from Amazon, the report said, ahead of its first season airing NBA games starting in the fall, though ESPN 'intends' on bringing the former Nets star back. From left: Richard Jefferson, Doris Burke and Mike Breen during a Lakers-Timberwolves playoff broadcast on April 27, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images One factor ESPN will weigh is whether Burke would be better suited as part of a two-person or three-person broadcast crew, according to The Athletic. Burke rose to ESPN's No. 1 NBA team after the network dumped Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy following the 2023 NBA Finals. From left: Richard Jefferson, Doris Burke and Mike Breen pose before a Thunder-Timberwolves playoff game on May 24, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images Doc Rivers, who had been fired by the 76ers, originally joined Burke and Breen, but he then left to become the Bucks' head coach in January 2024. Advertisement JJ Redick replaced Rivers, but his tenure was also short-lived as he took the Lakers' head coaching job last June. TNT just completed its final season broadcasting NBA games in the U.S., though the acclaimed 'Inside the NBA' will air on ESPN beginning next season through a licensing deal. Amazon has reached deals with Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan to be its top play-by-players next season, while game analysts will include Stan Van Gundy, Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash. NBC will have Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle calling games, with Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford joining them as game analysts. Michael Jordan has also joined NBC as a special contributor.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mike Breen shares emotional Lisa Salters message during ESPN reporter's NBA Finals absence
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Lisa Salters, here in December 2024, missed Game 2 of the NBA Finals in June 2025, Image 2 shows Breen (r.), here were Richard Jefferson (l.) and Doris Burke (c.), delivered his remarks in the third quarter, Image 3 shows Lisa Salters covered Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 5, 2025 Mike Breen shared a heartfelt message Sunday to his ESPN colleague, top sideline reporter Lisa Salters, who missed Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers to tend to her ailing mother. Moments after sideline reporter Jorge Sedano provided commentary on the second half of the game, with Oklahoma City leading 59-41 in the third, Breen detailed why Sedano was filling in for Salters, whom he described as 'the teammate everyone in our business should strive to have.' Advertisement 'Jorge is with us today, but we're thinking of our dear friend and colleague, Lisa Salters,' began Breen, who is part of ESPN's top NBA booth that includes Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson. 'Lisa's mom has been dealing with some serious health issues for a while now, so we want to send our love to Lisa and her mom. Although we've never met her mom, we owe her a debt of gratitude for giving us the gift of Lisa Salters, who is the teammate everyone in our business should strive to have.' Lisa Salters, here in December 2024, missed Game 2 of the NBA Finals in June 2025. Getty Images Prior to tipoff Sunday, reports emerged that Salters, 59, would miss Game 2 of the finals in Oklahoma City due to a personal matter. Advertisement Fever head coach Stephanie White, who is Salters' partner, skipped Indiana's game on Saturday in Chicago amid a 'family emergency,' according to the Indy Star. Mike Breen (r.) sent a heartfelt message to Lisa Salters during Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 8, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images Breen (r.), here were Richard Jefferson (l.) and Doris Burke (c.), delivered his remarks in the third quarter. NBAE via Getty Images Assistant coach Austin Kelly took over and guided the Fever to a 79-52 victory over the Sky, something Indiana forward DeWanna Bonner hoped her teammates would fight for on behalf of White. 'I really want to win for Steph, she's going through a tough time with her family right now,' Bonner told the Indy Star. 'We want to rally together and get this one for her, but it's also Austin's first time at the helm, so it's double-duty right now.' Lisa Salters covered Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 5, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images Lisa Salters' partner, Fever head coach Stephanie White (l.), missed the team's win over the Chicago Sky in June 2025. Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images The Fever visit the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, while Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals shift to Indiana starting Wednesday. Advertisement Salters, also a sideline correspondent on ESPN's 'Monday Night Football,' covered the Pacers' 111-110 Game 1 rally on Thursday in Oklahoma City. The Thunder stormed back in Game 2, 123-107, to even the best-of-seven series at 1-1.
