Clemson

The heat is on at Clemson, where hot-seat speculation swirls amid massive talent and portal additions designed to fix last year's pass-defense collapse. The Tigers' JP+ rating of +5.7 (#34 nationally) is driven entirely by a defense that grades at +5.5 (#22), while the offense sits dead even at +0.0 (#64) after losing receiver Antonio Williams to the NFL Draft and tight end Josh Sapp to West Virginia via portal. Chad Morris returns as offensive coordinator to work with the new signal-caller after Cade Klubnik's departure, while SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr. arrives to bolster a backfield that lost Keith Adams Jr. to Georgia State. With 19 portal departures costing 50.0 PPA against just 10 arrivals adding 20.4 PPA, the roster math looks challenging despite the defensive foundation.

JP+ projects 6.7 wins for the Tigers, who face a brutal stretch including road trips to LSU and Florida State plus a home date with Miami. National analysts are watching closely, predicting this could be a make-or-break season with an ACC title push the expectation rather than hope. The secondary additions through the portal should help address the pass-defense woes that derailed 2025's 7-5 campaign, but the offensive questions around the quarterback competition winner and a unit that ranks 64th nationally create uncertainty. If the defense maintains its elite level and Morris can unlock more from the offense, Clemson has the talent for a conference title run — but another underwhelming season could bring seismic changes to Death Valley.