Clemson stands above everyone else in returning talent for 2025

Dabo Swinney has been building something special at Clemson for a long time, but the 2025 season might be his best shot in years to add another national championship to his resume.

With an unparalleled amount of returning production, the Tigers are in prime position to dominate the college football landscape. If there was ever a year for Swinney to reassert his program at the top, this is it.

ESPN’s Bill Connelly, creator of the SP+ model, recently released his rankings for returning production in 2025, and Clemson stands alone at No. 1.

The Clemson Tigers are the only team bringing back at least 80% of their total production, which could give them a serious advantage over the other top programs in the country.

A Loaded Roster Ready to Compete

Clemson’s returning production is impressive on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they bring back a ton of firepower, led by quarterback Cade Klubnik, who made significant strides last season. The Tigers will have to find a replacement for Phil Mafah in the backfield, but Klubnik’s receiving corps is stacked with proven playmakers like Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr., and T.J. Moore. A healthy Tyler Brown, who missed a chunk of the 2024 season due to injury, will only add more firepower to an already potent attack.

Defensively, the Tigers reportedly rank seventh nationally in returning production. That includes key contributors like defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, as well as star linebacker Sammy Brown and standout corner Avieon Terrell. The unit didn’t always put up eye-popping stats last season, but with another year of development and the addition of Purdue pass rusher Will Heldt, the potential is sky-high.

That's not even taking into account the fact that Dabo Swinney went and poached defensive coordinator Tom Allen from Penn State after firing Wes Goodwin.

The Best Clemson Team in Five Years?

Let's be honest, things haven't gone as Clemson fans would have wanted the last half-decade. The Tigers have three ACC Championships in the last five seasons — 2020, 2022, and 2024 — and they've made the playoff twice in that span, as well. However, these teams just simply haven't felt like they've had the same firepower as what we had seen from previous teams, particularly between 2016-2019.

The schedule sets up for a big statement right out of the gate. Clemson will open the season at home against LSU on Aug. 30, a game that will immediately test whether this team is ready to take the next step. If Swinney can navigate the schedule and get his team into the College Football Playoff, there’s no reason to believe Clemson won’t be right there in the championship conversation come January.

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