Clemson Opponents’ Preview
CLEMSON – On the way to wrapping up the 2025 regular season, the Clemson Tigers will travel to face the Louisville Cardinals in their final ACC game of the regular season.
Tensions are high between these two teams after the Louisville stunned the Tigers last season at Death Valley. The Cardinals put on a show on the ground, and Clemson couldn’t stop it, nor could they keep up, which led to their second loss of the season after their Week 1 opener versus Georgia.
It could be hard for the Tigers going to Louisville this season, but they’ve greatly upgraded their roster since then, and they are predicted to firmly win the ACC. However, the Cardinals still hold many valuable pieces from last year’s team, which became the first Louisville team to beat Clemson.
OFFENSE
With the departure of Tyler Shough to the NFL, the Cardinals snagged USC transfer Miller Moss to take over at quarterback. Moss threw for 2,555 yards and 18 touchdowns with the Trojans last season, but he is expected to be even better under Jeff Brohm’s offense.
Senior receiver Chris Bell will be a strong leader as a deep threat receiver, making 43 catches with an average of 17.1 yards per catch in 2024. Caullin Lacy and Antonio Meeks will be options returning for their senior year, and the Cardinals picked up former Clemson wideout Dacari Collins from NC State and TreyShun Hurry (San Jose State) as more pass catchers for Moss.
Senior Nate Kurisky is expected to be the top option at tight end.
Running back Isaac Brown returns after rushing for 1,173 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024. He is expected to be even better this year. His partner in the backfield is sophomore Duke Watson. If they run better than they did last year, the Brown-Watson duo is going to be scary.
Finally, the offensive line picked up Mississippi State transfer Makylan Pounders at one tackle position and Purdue transfer Mahamane Moussa at the other. The rest of the line is made up of returning veterans, which shows promise for the Cardinals to continue to be great at providing protection up front.
DEFENSE
The defense looks a little bit different, but the strength is still there. At defensive end, the Cardinals secured Coastal Carolina transfer Clev Lubin and Rutgers transfer Wesley Bailey, who should hold down the positions well. Defensive tackle is looking to be strong, too, with Rene Konga and Jordan Guerad returning.
Last year’s leading tackler T.J. Quinn returns to lead the linebacker corps. He is joined by Stanquan Clark and Antonio Watts, who combined for 127 tackles last season. This could be the strongest unit of the upcoming defense.
The Cardinals’ secondary lost a lot of members over the offseason, but they have retained their strength with the use of the transfer portal. FIU transfer JoJo Evans should have a great season alongside D’Angelo Hutchinson at safety, and the cornerback room has been overhauled with the additions of seniors Rodney Johnson (Southern), Justin Agu (Louisiana), and Jabari Mack (Jacksonville State).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Freshman Cooper Ranvier is expected to be the starting kicker for the Cardinals after the departure of Brock Travelstead. At punter, sophomore Carter Schwartz returns to the starting role, where he punted 18 times for an average of 41.5 yards per punt last season.
OVERVIEW
Head coach Jeff Brohm looks to lead these Cardinals to greater heights. He has all of the pieces, especially on offense, to be a conference title contender in 2025.
Louisville’s first three games against Eastern Kentucky, James Madison, and Bowling Green shouldn’t be a huge challenge, and they have many favorable ACC games at home versus Virginia, California, and Boston College. Their toughest games will be against the Miami Hurricanes in Florida and the Clemson Tigers at home.
With the strong capabilities both on the ground and through the air, the Cardinals could find themselves in the ACC Championship Game.
Clemson travels to L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Ky., to face the Cardinals on Nov. 14 at 8 p.m., on ESPN.