ESPN recently released a tiered ranking of all 138 FBS teams entering the 2026 season, and Clemson’s ranking reflects tempered expectations following a disappointing 2025 campaign.

Clemson is the 24th team overall on ESPN’s list, which places the Tigers in the sixth tier.

Clemson leads the group of teams in Tier 6, described as “Probably fine. Maybe good. Possibly mediocre.”

The other teams in the tier are Virginia Tech, Illinois, Missouri and TCU.

Dabo Swinney is looking to lead Clemson to a bounce-back season after the Tigers went just 7-6 in 2025. Despite leading the team back to the College Football Playoff in 2024, Clemson is just 26-14 overall during the past three seasons.

“All five of the teams in Tier 6 rank between No. 20 and No 35 in [Bill] Connelly’s preseason SP+, which means they’re good enough to be taken seriously and flawed enough not to be a serious playoff contender,” ESPN’s David Hale wrote.

“This seems like exactly the spot Swinney wants to be in. It’s a perfect starting point for an ‘I told you so’ season. Of course, to buy into that narrative, you’d need to get on board with Christopher Vizzina — or, perhaps, true freshman Tait Reynolds — at quarterback.”

Tier 1 (“The safest bets”) features top contenders like reigning national champion Indiana, along with Notre Dame and Ohio State, as well as preseason ACC favorite Miami, which will travel to Clemson to play the Tigers on Oct. 3.

“Of course, the flip side of the optimism the Hoosiers created for all those supposed ‘have nots’ is the rest of Tier 1: Miami, Notre Dame and Ohio State are old-school powers, deeply (and financially) committed to winning football games,” Hale wrote. “If Indiana gave all the Davids hope, the Buckeyes, Canes and Irish are here to remind everyone that Goliath is still not one to be trifled with.”

Tier 2 (“Trust issues”) features powerhouse programs with something to prove, including Georgia, Oregon and Texas.

Tier 3 (“Maybe this is their year”) includes Southern Cal, BYU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. It also includes LSU, which will host Clemson in Baton Rouge to open the 2026 season on Sept. 5.

“Lane Kiffin left a team that was a play away from the national title game last year, because he thinks he has a better shot to win one at LSU,” Hale wrote. “Tier 3 is chock full of title aspirations, but there are some legitimate questions. Can Kiffin turn things in Year 1?”

As for ACC teams, Louisville and SMU are in Tier 5 (“Always so close, but no cigar”); Cal, NC State, Pittsburgh and Virginia are in Tier 7 (“On the come-up”); Florida State and Syracuse are in Tier 10 (“It has to get better. Right? Right?!?”); Duke, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest are in Tier 11 (“Six and sixers”); and Boston College, North Carolina and Stanford are in Tier 15 (“If Indiana can do it …”).