With the beginning of fall camp at Clemson just a few weeks away, the start of the 2026 football season is inching ever so closer.
With that in mind, now is a good time to start diving into the opponents on the Tigers’ schedule.
2026 Schedule
- Sept. 5: at LSU
- Sept. 12: vs. Georgia Southern
- Sept. 19: vs. North Carolina
- Sept. 25 (Fri.): at Cal
- Oct. 3: vs. Miami
- Oct. 10: Open Date
- Oct. 17: vs. Charleston Southern
- Oct. 24: vs. Virginia Tech
- Oct. 31: at Florida State
- Nov. 7: at Syracuse
- Nov. 14: vs. Georgia Tech
- Nov. 20 (Fri.): at Duke
- Nov. 28: vs. South Carolina
Week 5: Miami (13-3, 6-2 ACC)
The argument can be made that this is the biggest game on the slate. Some might point to the season-opener against LSU, but that matchup has no bearing on the ACC standings, and this one does.
Miami is going to be picked by most to win the ACC season. SMU and Louisville are both getting some preseason love, as well, but not nearly as much as the ‘Canes, who made a run to the national title game last season. So the path to Charlotte might very well run through Miami this season.
Once again, Mario Cristobal’s roster is loaded and on both sides of the ball. The Hurricanes have found their footing in the new pay-for-play model and boast 17 players recently named to Athlon’s All-ACC preseason team. That is six more than Clemson has.
In recent years, Miami has been able to pluck one of the best quarterbacks in the country out of the transfer portal, and this offseason was no different, with Darian Mensah spurning Duke in the wee hours of the window to join the Canes. Clemson fans got a firsthand look at just how dangerous Mensah is last season, with the signal-caller slicing up Tom Allen’s defense to the tune of 361 passing yards and four touchdowns in the Blue Devils’ 46-45 win in Death Valley.
Mensah even has more weapons out wide to work with now, including the ever-dangerous Malachi Toney. Cooper Barkate also came over from Duke with Mensah. Tight end Elija Lofton enters his third season and is expected to take on a larger role in 2026.
After rushing for close to 1,200 yards last year, Mark Fletcher Jr. leads one of the best running back rooms in the country. ChaMar Brown is back as the backup after logging close to 500 yards on the ground.
The ‘Canes do lose four starters along the offensive line. Matthew McCoy is expected to move out to right tackle after mostly lining up at guard the last two years, but he is the only returning full-time starter. Samson Okunlola is also back and has played a lot in a reserve role. Expect to see him at one of the guard spots. Max Buchanan, who logged 55 snaps in 2025, is the top candidate to fill the other guard spot, with Ryan Rodriguez taking over at center. Five-star signee Jackson Cantwell is the likely starter at left tackle after a really strong spring. Cantwell was the top player in the country in the 2026 class.
That Miami defense is once again loaded. Damon Wilson II, Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott anchor a defensive front expected to be one of the best in the nation. Mohamed Toure leads an extremely talented group of linebackers, and the secondary is littered with elite-level talent, including Bryce Fitzgerald, Xavier Lucas, Zechariah Poyser and OJ Frederique Jr. All eight of those players just listed garnered preseason All-ACC honors.
The Tigers are getting this Miami team at home, but as most will remember, Death Valley didn’t serve as much of a home-field advantage a season ago. That’s one thing that needs to change in 2026, and holding serve at home against a ‘Canes team that will likely be ranked inside the Top 10 coming into the season would definitely be a step in the right direction. This also serves as the game before the Tigers’ lone bye week.
Miami opened as an early 5.5-point road favorite in the matchup set for October 3.
