ESPN previewed the upcoming college football campaign, looking at 100 things to know ahead of the 2025 season, and Clemson drew several mentions throughout the story.

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is listed as the No. 10 coach to watch. The two-time national champion and nine-time ACC champ is now entering his 18th season (and 17th full season) as the Tigers’ head coach.

“He’s seven years removed from his last national title and has taken heat for largely stiff-arming the transfer portal and digging in on certain philosophies,” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg wrote. “After a surprise ACC title in 2024, Swinney has one of his best rosters, filled with homegrown players like quarterback Cade Klubnik, wide receiver Antonio Williams and defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, but he also integrated a few transfers. He aims for his third national championship doing it his way.”

Speaking of the aforementioned Klubnik, the star quarterback tops ESPN’s list of 10 early Heisman Trophy contenders, coming in ahead of Texas quarterback Arch Manning at No. 2.

In his breakout 2024 campaign, Klubnik finished second nationally in total touchdowns with 43. He was third nationally in touchdown passes with 36, and his six interceptions were second fewest among quarterbacks who threw 28 or more touchdown passes last season.

“Klubnik has grown tremendously since his first season as a starter in 2023,” ESPN’s Chris Low wrote. “The 6-2, 210-pound senior ranks in the top five in Clemson history in nearly every passing category and put up huge numbers a year ago when he was one of two FBS quarterbacks with more than 3,600 passing yards and 400 rushing yards. He accounted for 43 touchdowns (36 passing, seven rushing) and threw only six interceptions in 486 passing attempts. What’s more exciting is he has all of his top wide receivers returning for the 2025 season.”

As for a Clemson newcomer, true freshman running back Gideon Davidson checked in at No. 10 among ESPN’s 10 freshmen to watch.

 Davidson – the third-best running back and No. 59 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, per ESPN – generated a lot of buzz and drew plenty of praise this spring after enrolling at Clemson in January.

A unanimous four-star prospect, Davidson helped Liberty Christian Academy (Va.) to an undefeated season and a second straight state championship in 2024, when he was credited with 2,054 rushing yards on 223 attempts (9.2-yard average) with 34 rushing touchdowns.

“Davidson, ESPN’s No. 3 running back in 2025, rushed for more than 5,000 yards and 80 touchdowns over his final two high school seasons,” ESPN’s Eli Lederman wrote. “Coach Dabo Swinney said last month the 5-foot-11 rusher is “physically” ready for first-team snaps but still needs to develop into a complete running back. If Davidson can refine his blocking skills and learn the offense, he stands as Clemson’s most intriguing potential replacement for 1,115-yard rusher Phil Mafah.”

Regarding the 2025 Clemson team as a whole, the Tigers are listed at No. 3 among 10 potential first-round bye teams for this year’s 12-team College Football Playoff.

“The Tigers are here as the projected ACC champion and the selection committee’s third-highest ranked conference champion, which would earn them the No. 3 seed,” ESPN’s Heather Dinich wrote.

Clemson (10-4, 7-1 ACC in 2024) is coming off its eighth ACC Championship in the last 10 seasons, as well as its first College Football Playoff appearance since the 2020 campaign and seventh all-time CFP berth.

Clemson earned a spot in the inaugural 12-team playoff thanks to its walk-off, 34-31 win over SMU in the ACC Championship Game, before falling to Texas, 38-24, in what was a competitive CFP first-round matchup in Austin between the 12th-seeded Tigers and fifth-seeded Longhorns.