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Is Clemson football ranked in early top 25 polls for 2026 season?
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- Is Clemson football ranked in early top 25 polls for 2026 season?
CLEMSON — The 2025 college football season is over after Indiana won the national championship on Jan. 19, and Clemson football looks to return to national prominence in 2026.
The Tigers had their second-worst season in coach Dabo Swinney's full 17 years in 2025 after going 7-6 to miss the ACC title game and the College Football Playoff for the fourth time in five seasons. Clemson was a disappointment despite being a popular pick to win the national championship and returning the most production of any Division I team last season, including quarterback Cade Klubnik .
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Swinney has revamped his roster, adding a program-record 10 transfers and adding 22 players in the high school/junior college recruiting cycle. Clemson also hired Chad Morris back to be its offensive coordinator after its offense struggled last year.
Swinney hopes these additions will lift the Tigers back to the national championship scene. Clemson opens its season on the road against LSU on Sept. 5 .
Here is where the Tigers are ranked in early Top 25 rankings.
Is Clemson ranked in early 2026 rankings?
Clemson is ranked No. 19, the third-highest ACC team, in USA TODAY's early Top 25 rankings despite coming off its worst season in 15 years. Paul Myerberg and Erick Smith explained why the Tigers made the Top 25:
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"This is a major roll of the dice given how the Tigers' abysmal 2025 season and the uncertainty at quarterback, with junior Christopher Vizzina set to take over after an unimpressive run in the backup role. But Clemson has done a better job in the portal, grabbing edge London Merritt ( Colorado ), safety Corey Myrick (Southern Mississippi) and corner Donovan Starr (Auburn), among others, and Dabo Swinney will still have a roster that might be the most talented in the ACC.
"A lot is hinging on whether new offensive coordinator Chad Morris can recapture the magic of his previous stint with the program."
MORE: Where Dabo Swinney, Clemson stand as portal closes, and what about Luke Ferrelli or a QB?
However, Clemson was not ranked in early Top 25 rankings from On3, Sporting News and CBS Sports after its disastrous 2025 season.
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USA TODAY's early 2026 rankings
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Georgia
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Notre Dame
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Texas Tech
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Miami
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Southern California
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LSU
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SMU
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Utah
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Clemson
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Ole Miss
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Florida State
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Boise State
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Where Clemson, Dabo Swinney rank in early top 25 polls for 2026 season
