There are big expectations for the Clemson football program entering the 2025 season, and the Tigers are very highly thought of this offseason.

Dabo Swinney’s team has certainly generated plenty of preseason buzz. In a composite post-spring top 25 put together by CBS Sports, Clemson is ranked as the No. 4 team in the country, while the Tigers have even landed at No. 1 in some preseason rankings.

The Tigers are coming off another ACC title in 2024, as well as their first College Football Playoff appearance since the 2020 season. But can Clemson win its first national championship since 2018?

USA TODAY named Clemson among  “college football sleepers that could contend for the national championship” this coming season.

USA TODAY’s Blake Toppmeyer listed Clemson as one of five teams that “intrigue” him as “national championship longshots,” with a longshot being defined as a team with odds worse than 12-to-1 to win the national title.

Clemson’s odds, according to BetMGM, are 13-to-1.

“What’s not to like about Clemson? The Tigers returned gobs of production, making them the decisive ACC frontrunner,” Toppmeyer wrote. “Much like LSU, they feature a seasoned quarterback (Cade Klubnik) and a talented batch of wide receivers. Clemson hosts LSU in a Week 1 prove-it game. Clemson boasts several players who should hear their name called early in next year’s draft, like defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. The offensive line is seasoned and solid. Plus, Dabo Swinney added three transfers – gasp! – who buoy the two-deep. There’s plenty to like, plus a clear path to the playoff from the ACC.”

Along with Clemson, LSU (20-to-1 odds, per BetMGM ) was listed as a “prime sleeper” candidate to contend for the national championship.

“Brian Kelly got LSU’s donor game squared away this offseason,” Toppmeyer wrote. “It shows in the Tigers’ transfer class. Nobody secured a better portal haul than Kelly. That includes additions like defensive linemen Patrick Payton (Florida State) and Jack Pyburn (Florida) who should fortify a defense that’s sagged for years. Pair that with proven quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and a gifted wide receiver room, and it’s understandable why Kelly says this is his best LSU roster. A tough schedule plots land mines en route to the playoff, but on talent alone, LSU is better positioned to pursue a national title than it’s been in years.”

The marquee season-opening matchup between Clemson and LSU on Aug. 30 at Memorial Stadium is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on ABC.

Michigan (22-to-1 odds) and Ole Miss (25-to-1) were listed as “longer-shot sleepers” to contend for the national championship, while former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ Oklahoma team (66-to-1) was named as the “Hail Mary sleeper” to contend for the national title.