Following this past weekend’s College Football Playoff action, ESPN staff writer Bill Connelly gave his main takeaways (subscription required) from each of the four first-round matchups.

As for the game between No. 12 seed Clemson and fifth-seeded Texas, Connelly offered an optimistic outlook for the Tigers after their 38-24 loss to the Longhorns in Austin.

Connelly wrote that “it appears the next Clemson team we see will be a bit different,” pointing to the Tigers’ transfer portal pickups of former Purdue defensive end Will Heldt and former Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Tristan Smith.

Connelly added that Clemson will “be in business” next season with “its best receiving corps since at least 2019,” if rising senior quarterback Cade Klubnik comes back and the Tigers can improve on the defensive side of the ball:

Swinney has already secured commitments from a pair of transfers — almost literally his first dalliance with a portal that almost completely sculpted two other surprise CFP teams (Indiana and SMU). We’ll see if he pursues any changes to a defensive coaching staff that hasn’t been nearly as effective since Brent Venables’ departure for Oklahoma three years ago. But even with some philosophical shifts there, one has to be excited about the upside returning in the passing game, at least if Klubnik returns, as anticipated. The junior threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns this season, and his three leading receivers were a sophomore (Antonio Williams) and two freshmen (Bryant Wesco Jr. and Saturday night star T.J. Moore). With a bit more development, Clemson will have its best receiving corps since at least 2019. Figure out how to make a few more stops, and they’ll be in business.

Clemson finished the 2024 season with a 10-4 record, including an 8-1 record in ACC play, and won the conference championship for the eighth time in 10 seasons before making their seventh College Football Playoff appearance.

Coming off their first CFP berth since 2020, there’s good reason to be excited about what could be in store for the Tigers in the 2025 season, which will open with a marquee matchup against the LSU Tigers at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 30.