The preparation for the 2024 season comes in many ways, and one of those is getting a read for how much production the Clemson Tigers are returning.

ESPN ranked all 134 teams in returning production and Clemson placed just above the middle of the pack in that regard. Bil Connolly’s metrics have the Tigers at No. 54, returning 64 percent of its production.

That’s also No. 20 in the country on offense, while the defense is outside the top 100 with a lot of departures. With this ranking, Clemson is eighth in the ACC in that regard. The good news for the Tigers is its biggest competition, Florida State, was listed in the most likely to regress.

The saga of 2023 FSU has been well-documented by now. The Seminoles went 13-0 in the regular season but were spurned of a CFP bid because of an injury to quarterback Jordan Travis and some spectacular CFP committee groupthink. A wave of opt-outs then left them severely shorthanded in the Orange Bowl, and they suffered a record-setting blowout at Georgia’s hands. It was unfortunate for any number of reasons, and when you lose a bunch of bowl opt-outs, it stands to reason you’re going to have a lot of overall production to replace the next season.

Coach Mike Norvell has done a nice job of reloading in the transfer portal — he’s been one of the most consistently strong portal recruiters in the country in recent years — and it’s a bit of a victory that the Noles rank in the 80s in returning production. But 2024 will still be a bit of a reloading year.

Clemson is poised to retake hold of the ACC, and its returning talent alongside a strong recruiting class bodes well while the liquid nature of college football could hurt other programs like the Seminoles in 2024.

Returning the starting quarterback is above all, and the Tigers have that in Cade Klubnik and more on offense. That’s a heavy reason for optimism, but we’ll have to see how Wes Goodwin’s defense shapes up for the new season.