2026 FSU Schedule Preview: Clemson Tigers

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What will undeniably be the toughest three-game stretch of Florida State’s 2026 schedule will conclude with a home game against the Clemson Tigers on Halloween.

At least there’s a bye between the game at Miami and Clemson coming to town. But if the earlier stretch of schedule doesn’t end Mike Norvell’s tenure, it’s entirely possible it ends somewhere in this run, which begins Oct. 9 with a road game at Louisville.

Florida State vs. Clemson Tigers

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 31, TBD
• Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
• Previous matchup: Clemson 24, FSU 10
• All-time series: FSU leads 21-17 but has won just one of the last 10

Clemson Tigers: 2026 Team Preview

2025 record: 7-6 (4-4)

Two things to know:

• Cade Klubnik’s extended tenure as Clemson quarterback has come to an end. While the Tigers haven’t officially named a starter, it would seem to be Christopher Vizzina’s job to lose. A former four-star recruit who was on the fringe of the top 100 in the 2023 class, the redshirt junior has largely served in mop-up duty during his first three seasons, throwing for 596 yards, four touchdowns and one interception with a 61% completion percentage in 14 games (one start). He’ll also have a (kind of) new offensive coordinator to work with as Clemson moved on from Garrett Riley and brought back Chad Morris, previously their OC/QBs coach from 2011-14 before a failed head coaching career at SMU and Arkansas. Getting the band back together feels like a last-ditch effort by Dabo Swinney to rediscover the good old days before it’s too late.
• Defensive coordinator Tom Allen is back for a second season with Clemson. While he was viewed as an ace hire last offseason after anchoring an elite Penn State defense on their run to the College Football Playoff semifinals, the unit didn’t live up to expectations. Clemson finished ninth in the ACC in yards per play allowed (5.32) for the second straight season after finishing first or second in that stat in three of the prior four seasons. The Tigers committed even stronger to the transfer portal this offseason after dipping a toe in last year, and nine of their 11 transfer additions are on the defensive side of the ball, including five defensive linemen and four defensive backs. Will the defense take a step forward with a year in Allen’s 4-2-5 system under their belts?

Three key players

• Redshirt junior defensive end Will Heldt: Clemson’s big transfer addition last offseason from Purdue, Heldt lived up to the hype with 7.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss in 2025. Any chance of a defensive improvement is dependent on him making a massive impact.
• Junior wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr.: An immediate-impact player as a freshman in 2024, Wesco played just seven games last season before his season prematurely ended due to a scary back injury sustained on a flip while being tackled. He’s been cleared for practice entering this season, though, and appears poised for a third straight standout season after amassing over 500 yards and five-plus touchdowns in each of his first two collegiate seasons.
• Junior cornerback Ashton Hampton: A Tallahassee native who elected not to play for the local team, Hampton could evolve into the next great Clemson cornerback this season. He has three interceptions, 13 pass breakups and 72 tackles over two seasons, including 10 tackles last year and three career pass breakups in two games against the Seminoles. He was picked on the preseason All-ACC first team by Phil Steele, speaking to how he’s perceived entering Year 3 with Avieon Terrell now off to the NFL.

Florida State vs. Clemson Tigers: Game preview, predictions

• Best Case

Florida State exceeds expectations and things continue to fall apart at Clemson. It seems highly unlikely Swinney is fired midseason but their seven wins last season were the fewest since 2010. If things go poorly again relative to the program’s former expectations, one can wonder what their motivation could be by the time late October rolls around.

• Realistic Case

Like last year, it’s a battle between two similarly talented teams that have fallen on hard times compared to when they used to run the ACC. The game comes down to the fourth quarter, with home field potentially swinging things in FSU’s favor or Clemson possibly being improved this season and escaping with a win, like they have in their last four trips to Tallahassee.

• Worst Case

Norvell has already been fired and Clemson smells blood in the water. Swinney runs it up and this time succeeds at getting one of his sons a touchdown in a game at Florida State.

2026 FSU football schedule

• Saturday, Aug. 29: New Mexico State Aggies (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee) | 7:00 p.m. (The CW)
• Monday, Sep. 7: SMU Mustangs (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee) | 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
• BYE
• Saturday, Sep. 19: Alabama Crimson Tide (Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala.) | 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
• Saturday, Sep. 26: Central Arkansas Bears (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
• Saturday, Oct. 3: Virginia Cavaliers (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
• Friday, Oct. 9: Louisville Cardinals (Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, Ky.) | 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
• Saturday, Oct. 17: Miami Hurricanes (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.)
• BYE
• Saturday, Oct. 31: Clemson Tigers (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
• Saturday, Nov. 7: Boston College Eagles (Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
• Friday, Nov. 13: Pitt Panthers (Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa.) | 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
• Saturday, Nov. 21: NC State Wolfpack (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
• Friday, Nov. 27: Florida Gators (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee) | 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

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