CBS Sports used its spring playoff projections to list one X-factor for each potential College Football Playoff team for the 2025 campaign, or as CBS Sports put it, “players poised to make or break contenders’ 2025 postseason chances.”
“Ahead of the 2025 season, every CFP contender has at least one player or position group that needs to step up and play to their potential in order for the team to deliver on its playoff goals,” CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns wrote.
After returning to the College Football Playoff last season, Clemson is widely viewed as a contender to make the 12-team CFP field once again this season, with many considering the Tigers a legitimate threat to win their first national title since 2018.
So, who is Clemson’s CFP X-factor?
CBS Sports says it’s true freshman running back Gideon Davidson.
“The best-case scenario for Clemson is that Gideon Davidson steps in as a true freshman, establishes himself as a standout and never looks back as the featured ballcarrier,” Bahns wrote. “That would solve what is probably the biggest question mark on an otherwise loaded, balanced and experienced roster. The running back room is such a sizable concern that the Tigers moved wide receiver Adam Randall to potentially serve as a top option. As strong as the passing game figures to be, Clemson has to keep defenses honest with at least a serviceable ground attack.”
Davidson generated plenty of buzz this spring after enrolling early and caught the eye of head coach Dabo Swinney, who believes Davidson is the best running back from the 2025 recruiting class. Swinney is one of many coaches and players who were impressed with Davidson this spring, including star quarterback Cade Klubnik, who compared Davidson to legendary former Tiger running back Travis Etienne.
A unanimous four-star prospect, Davidson helped his Liberty Christian Academy (Va.) team 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. He was named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Virginia, as well as MaxPreps Virginia High School Football Player of the Year.
Clemson landed at No. 4 in CBS Sports’ post-spring top 25 rankings, and the Tigers were projected as the ACC Champion and the No. 4 seed in CBS Sports’ spring playoff projections. As a top-four seed, the Tigers would get a first-round bye.
“Even if Dabo Swinney’s Tigers dropped both of their games this season against SEC competition like they did last fall, an 11-2 finish as the ACC champion should be enough to warrant a top-four seed with the selection committee if they wreck shop against league opponents,” CBS Sports wrote. “The upcoming opener against fellow projected playoff team LSU is one of Week 1’s most appetizing matchups.”
The 12-team CFP is moving to straight seeding this season, meaning the teams ranked No. 1 through No. 12 will be seeded directly on the rankings. With the straight seeding model, the top four teams in the selection committee’s rankings will get the top four seeds and receive first-round byes, whether or not they are a conference champion. The five highest-ranked conference champs will still get automatic playoff spots, but will be seeded based on their ranking.