Clemson’s 2025 season ended as it began, with the offense mustering just 10 points in an extremely disappointing loss to an out-of-conference Power-4 team.
The Tigers’ 22-10 loss to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl was just as ugly offensively as the season-opening loss to LSU. There was no semblance of a running game. The senior quarterback, who was playing behind an offensive line missing two starters, consistently held on to the ball too long, resulting in multiple, drive-killing sacks.
However, the sacks were only a small part of the discombobulation. Cade Klubnik completed just 56% of his passes for 193 yards. The protection was leaky, and his pass catchers dropped at least half a dozen passes.
After the game, Dabo Swinney insisted his team wasn’t as far off as some might think. He once again doubled down on being just a few plays away from having a much better season. While there may be some truth in that, it’s also fair to point out that this team was just a few plays away from being 5-8 or 4-9, instead of 7-6.
Now we head into what will be one of the biggest offseasons of the Swinney era. His program is at a crossroads. Decisions made over the next week or two will significantly impact how this program progresses. Coaching staff decisions and personnel decisions. Everything should be on the table at this point. Status quo should not be an option.
Either way, the pressure is on, and you know the longtime head coach is feeling it.
Big Decision Looms Large
After watching his offense produce just 236 yards of total offense, Swinney has a decision to make. Do you bring offensive coordinator Garrett Riley back, or do you make another move there? It’s pretty clear what the fan base believes.
The Riley hire just hasn’t worked out the way most envisioned when he was brought on board three years ago. Klubnik did not progress in a way that was expected. In fact, as a senior, he regressed some.
After ending the 2025 season on a high note and finishing the year ranked inside the Top 20 nationally in scoring offense, it appeared Riley and this offense had hit its stride. It even earned him a two-year extension that runs through the 2027 season, putting the buyout at around $3.5M currently. However, the unit has taken a major step backwards.
The unwillingness to commit to the running game has been a glaring problem all season, and it reared its ugly head again in the bowl game. The Tigers currently rank 99th nationally in rushing offense.
The quarterback play was also hit and miss. More down than up to be quite honest. And Riley is the quarterbacks coach.
Does this offense even have a true identity? After three years, you’d think that would be an easy question to answer. It’s not, and that is a major issue.
What Swinney decides to do about his offense will shape the expectations for 2026.
More Questions Than Answers
Deciding Riley’s fate is just one of the many big decisions that need to be made. There are, no doubt, some spots on the coaching staff that need to be addressed. I would argue there are spots on both sides that can be upgraded.
Outside of Riley, the next biggest question mark resides at the most important position on the field. Who will be the quarterback? Listening to Swinney, he seems content to ride with Chris Vizzina, who has patiently waited his turn for the last three seasons. At least that is the message he is portraying in public.
If Clemson had the kind of season most were expecting and won 10 or more games, maybe you could go into the offseason selling the fan base on hope and on the potential of Vizzina. But with this program where it is currently, is that the smart play?
Vizzina hasn’t had a ton of work to this point, so there are still some unknowns there. While he was good for three quarters in his only career start against SMU earlier in the season, it is also fair to point out that the Mustangs currently rank next to last in the FBS in pass defense. Pretty much everyone has thrown on that defense in 2025. And Vizzina certainly didn’t set the world on fire in his other appearances this season. Not even against FCS foe Furman, when he went just 9-of-15 passing for 52 yards.
If Clemson wants to get back into the upper echelon of the ACC and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff next season, bringing in a portal quarterback feels like the necessary move. And there will be no shortage of options when the portal opens on January 2.
A proven, established veteran signal caller just seems like the way to go. One that can bridge the gap to a Chris Denson, Tait Reynolds, or maybe even four-star Kharim Hughley, who is already committed in the 2027 class.
More Portal Help
With so many players missing from the starting defense against Penn State, we got a look at some of the younger and more inexperienced players on the roster. While the unit held up throughout the first half, with no help from the offense, it started to wilt over the final two quarters. It really unraveled in that fourth quarter.
Sure, about half of the starters on that side of the ball were out for one reason or another, but that also gave us a look at the depth behind those starters. Brutal truth, there doesn’t appear to be much quality depth, meaning Swinney is going to have to hit the portal. And hard.
There’s probably not one position on that defense that can’t use shoring up, but it has to start in that secondary. The Tigers are particularly lacking at safety. Two, maybe even three additions are needed there. Defensive end and linebacker are also areas of concern. You have one of the more respected defensive coordinators in the country, now you have to get him the pieces he needs to be successful.
Photo by Bart Boatwright