Where Is Clemson in CBS Sports’ ACC Power Rankings?
By: Gavin Oliver February 8, 2026

CBS Sports released its 2026 ACC football power rankings, giving its “way-too-early” outlook for how the 17-team conference stacks up ahead of next season.

Clemson landed at No. 7 in the power rankings.

The Tigers head into the 2026 campaign hoping to bounce back from a 7-6 record in 2025, the second-worst season in head coach Dabo Swinney’s full 17 seasons.

“There is not much of a transfer portal report for Dabo Swinney’s group, as the Tigers are poised to welcome in just nine transfers in a class that ranks 69th nationally and 15th in the ACC,” CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson wrote. “Now, to Dabo Swinney’s credit this is not a program that loses a lot of transfers and the Tigers have continued to recruit out of high school at a high level even while the on-field success has taken a step back.

“Betting on Clemson’s success in 2026 is belief in a new wave of talent taking over in the wake of a mass exodus from last year’s squad, which started the year with title hopes and plenty of NFL-bound talent but never found its footing as a legit contender. Maybe new blood can yield new results after a couple of seasons of underperforming, but there’s enough unknown to prevent a placement inside the top five of the league when it comes to power rankings.”

Unsurprisingly, after making a run to the national title game, Miami is No. 1 in CBS Sports’ 2026 ACC power rankings, with SMU, Virginia, Louisville and Virginia Tech rounding out the top five.

This past season, Clemson finished 4-4 in ACC play, tied with four other teams for seventh place in the 2025 conference standings.

Clemson’s 2026 schedule includes home ACC games against North Carolina (Sept. 19), Miami (Oct. 3), Virginia Tech (Oct. 24) and Georgia Tech (Nov. 14), while the Tigers will play road ACC games against Cal (Sept. 25), Florida State (Oct. 31), Syracuse (Nov. 6 or Nov. 7) and Duke (Nov. 21).

Here’s where Clemson’s 2026 conference opponents stand in CBS Sports’ 2026 ACC power rankings:

Miami: No. 1

Virginia Tech: No. 5

Georgia Tech: No. 8

Cal: No. 9

Florida State: No. 10

Duke: No. 11

North Carolina: No. 12

Syracuse: No. 15

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney with his team during pregame on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville. (Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider)