Last month, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney was listed as one of the 10 college football coaches under the most pressure in 2026.

Now, this national outlet says Swinney’s Clemson program overall is one of the 10 teams under the most pressure this offseason ahead of the upcoming season.

Athlon Sports pegged the Tigers as one of those teams and summed up why Clemson is under pressure, coming off a 2025 campaign that ended with a 7-6 record after beginning with national championship aspirations.

“The Tigers were one of college football’s biggest disappointments in ’25,” Athlon’s Steven Lassan wrote. “After preseason playoff expectations, Clemson slumped to a 7-6 finish. This spring is all about coach Dabo Swinney getting the program back on track.”

The Tigers will hold their annual spring game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Though many programs across the country have done away with their annual spring showcases, Clemson will once again welcome fans to get a glimpse of the Tigers in advance of the upcoming season during the spring game.

Athlon highlighted what’s been key spring question marks for the Tigers.

“Is Christopher Vizzina the right answer at quarterback to replace Cade Klubnik?” Lassan wrote. “How will the offense perform overall under new coordinator Chad Morris? Just three starters are back on defense for play-caller Tom Allen. Every level will require some spring retooling.”

Athlon Sports recently released its 2026 ACC spring power rankings, and Clemson checked in at No. 4 behind Miami at No. 1, Louisville at No. 2 and SMU at No. 3.

Clemson will open its 2026 season on Sept. 5, when it faces LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

LSU, entering Year 1 of the Lane Kiffin era, was also listed by Athlon as one of the teams under the most pressure.

“Change is the biggest storyline in Baton Rouge,” Lassan wrote. “The Bayou Bengals made a high-profile coaching move to lure Lane Kiffin to Baton Rouge. Also, the Tigers spent big on roster retention and in the transfer portal to give Kiffin all of the talent he needs to win right away. Kiffin isn’t being paid to simply get LSU to nine victories. The expectation is to contend for the SEC Championship and make a deep playoff run.”

Florida State and North Carolina both appeared on the list of teams under pressure, as well.

Clemson will host North Carolina at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 19, while the Tigers will travel to play Florida State in Tallahassee on Oct. 31.