Clemson Vaults up in National Outlet’s Rankings
By: Gavin Oliver May 14, 2026

Clemson vaulted up in one national outlet’s rankings after the conclusion of spring football.

With spring practice in the books, CBS Sports released its post-spring rankings of every team in the FBS ahead of the 2026 college football season.

Clemson climbed to No. 26 nationally – up 28 spots from where the Tigers were in CBS Sports’ final 2025 rankings.

Because of the jump, CBS Sports listed Clemson among the “biggest movers” in the post-spring rankings.

“The Tigers might not be dealing with a coaching change, but there seems to be an assumption that Dabo Swinney’s crew will have some addition by subtraction after losing Garrett Riley as offensive coordinator and Cade Klubnik as the team’s starting quarterback,” CBS Sports wrote. “The NFL Draft talent exodus was notable, but after our voters were harsh to a team that fell way short of preseason expectations, this top-30 ranking points to a return to form for a group that will be comparatively lacking in proven experience.”

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney after the Tigers’ 28-14 win on November 29, 2025 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. (Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider)

Clemson enters the 2026 campaign hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 7-6 season in 2025 – the second-worst record in Swinney’s full 17 seasons — after starting last season ranked No. 4 in the preseason AP Poll with national title aspirations.

Ohio State is the No. 1 team in CBS Sports’ post-spring rankings, with Texas, Oregon, Notre Dame and Georgia rounding out the top five.

After reigning national champion Indiana at No. 6, Miami – last season’s national championship runner-up – is the highest-ranked ACC team at No. 7. Along with Miami, the other ACC teams in the top 25 are SMU (No. 20) and Louisville (No. 24).

Former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ Oklahoma team is No. 10.

Clemson will open the 2026 season against LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Sept. 5. The Bayou Bengals are No. 13 in CBS Sports’ post-spring rankings (up 40 spots from the end of last season).

“Hiring Lane Kiffin to return LSU to title contention comes with the expectation that every one of his teams, even Year 1, will have the necessary talent to compete in a 12-team playoff era,” CBS Sports wrote. “Our experts are mostly in line with that here, starting LSU just outside the top 12 and well ahead of where the team finished at the end of a season that went sideways following Brian Kelly’s firing in late October. LSU went out and picked up some of the biggest transfer portal wins of the offseason, resulting in a massive class of new faces ushering in the new era in Baton Rouge.”

Clemson’s in-state rival, South Carolina, is No. 32 (up 45 spots from where the Gamecocks finished the 2025 campaign).

“Our voters did not respond kindly to what was an underachieving 2025 season for the Gamecocks,” CBS Sports wrote. “After starting the year with one of the most talented quarterbacks in the SEC, the team sputtered in close games against the best teams in the conference. A seven-point home loss to Alabama and a blown lead in a 31-30 defeat at Texas A&M showed South Carolina could hang with playoff teams, but with just three wins against FBS opponents on the season, our voters had the Gamecocks outside the top 70 to finish the year. An adjustment back up inside the top 40 suggests a projection that a few of those close games flip the other way, and Shane Beamer is bowling again in 2026.” 

Along with Clemson, both South Carolina and LSU were named among the biggest movers in CBS Sports’ post-spring rankings.

Former Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott’s Virginia team is also in that category, but because of a 21-spot drop to No. 38.

“Tony Elliott just guided Virginia to one of its best-ever seasons and still can’t get the benefit of the doubt from our voters,” CBS Sports wrote. “Now it’s true that Chandler Morris’ absence has created some question marks heading into 2026, but a pointed investment in football has produced an appearance in the ACC Championship Game, and there is really no turning back now in Charlottesville. The Wahoos have done a good job in the transfer portal the last two cycles and are looking to remain among the top tier in the ACC, even after losing Morris and several starters from last year’s team.”