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Will Clemson football return to prominence in 2024?

By Connor Muldowney

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney during the third quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney during the third quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK
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From 2015-2020, Clemson football had zero seasons with more than two losses. Even more impressive, from 2011-2020, Dabo Swinney had just two seasons with more than two losses and the most he had in a single season in that stretch was four.

Swinney was building a dynasty in South Carolina.

The Tigers had won national titles in 2016 and 2018 and they had been to four national title games in five years from 2015-2019. They were one of the top powerhouses in the sport and Swinney was even mentioned in the same breath as Nick Saban. He was challenging Alabama for national titles every single year.

And then something changed after COVID-19 hit. The Tigers seemed to fall off from 2021-23.

In 2020, Clemson went 10-2 and just missed out on the playoff but it still had the feel of a powerhouse team from the ACC. Then in 2021, the Tigers were just 10-3 with a Cheez-It Bowl win. In 2022, they went 11-3 with an Orange Bowl win and perfect 8-0 record in ACC play. And then in 2023, the Tigers really dropped off, going 9-4 with a Gator Bowl victory.

After having just two seasons with more than two losses in the previous decade, Swinney wrapped up 2023 with his third straight three-plus-loss campaign. It felt like the death of a once-proud budding dynasty.

Can he get it back to prominence in 2024, however?

Cade Klubnik is back in his second full year as the starter and there are high hopes for him under center and the Tigers are bringing in a top-15 recruiting class with a couple of five-stars so there's definitely hope. If Swinney dips into the transfer portal to address some other needs, I don't think this team is too far off from playoff contention, especially since the field expands to 12 this year.

Clemson has been at a level most programs dream of for the past three years, but it's not up to Swinney's standards and I think he'll figure things out and get back to winning big in 2024. There's just way too much talent and experience on the roster and in the coaching staff to believe otherwise.

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