For the first time since the Trevor Lawrence era, Clemson is a legitimate contender for the national title.
The Tigers bring back Cade Klubnik at quarterback, a ton of experience on the offensive line, and one of the deepest and most talented wide receiver rooms in the country. One of Clemson's biggest problems last season — defense, particularly against the run — was addressed this offseason with the hiring of Tom Allen (former Penn State defensive coordinator) to take over as defensive coordinator.
When you look at the defense, there is plenty of talent. T.J. Parker, Peter Woods, an Aveion Terrell are all projected first-rounders in the upcoming NFL Draft. In addition, Sammy Brown, Ashton Hampton, Khalil Barnes, Wade Woodaz, and transfer Will Heldt provide plenty of talent for Allen to mold.
That being said, there are still questions for Clemson heading into 2025.
The biggest burning questions for Clemson football in 2025
1. Who emerges at running back?
If you followed Clemson last year, you know that Phil Mafah down the stretch of the season was a shell of his former self. As a result, Clemson's rushing attack became limited and though they continued to try and feed him the ball, it never really worked. That's why the Tigers, in my opinion, had much more success against SMU and Texas late in the season, because they essentially chose to go "Air Cade."
Heading into 2025, there's a gap that needs to be filled. WR-turned-RB Adam Randall is going to get the first shot. Jay Haynes — when he's back healthy — is going to get carries. They've also got a talented freshman named Gideon Davidson who'll factor into the rotation. Could Jarvis Green or David Eziomume factor into the rotation? That remains to be seen. However, Clemson has to have some semblance of a rushing attack if the offense is going to reach its full potential.
2. Can Cade Klubnik be a legitimate Heisman contender?
Because of the running back situation, it's clear that Clemson is going to rely on Cade Klubnik. He's got the wide receivers — Antonio Williams, T.J. Moore, and Bryant Wesco — around him to make a big splash, but we have to be honest here: Cade needs to take the next step for this offense to be elite.
Klubnik doesn't have to win the award or even be invited to New York, but he has to at least be in the conversation. Clemson needs him to exceed his numbers from last season — and he likely will — and they need him to make winning plays down the stretch of games this season. It will be interesting to see how things unfold with the Tigers leaning more into that "Air Raid" principle under Garrett Riley in 2025.
3. Can the defense become a top-20 unit again?
The defense doesn't necessarily need to be a top-10 group to compete for a national championship, but they do need to make significant improvement. You've got talent at every level of the unit, but it's up to Tom Allen to get the best out of the group. Wes Goodwin couldn't.
Clemson's defense needs an identity and they needed a refresh. Allen brought that this spring, but it will be interesting to see if that carries over, because there are still questions to be answered there. I've got questions about safety and defensive back depth in general. There are also questions about health with some of the key players on that defense, like DeMonte Capehart, Jeadyn Lukus, and Shelton Lewis.