The Seven Biggest Reasons Clemson Football Has Left National Championship Talks in Recent Seasons

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From 2015 to 2019, the Clemson Tigers made the national championship four out of five seasons. They made six consecutive College Football Playoff appearances from 2015-20.

Following that 2020 season, head coach Dabo Swinney has only two ACC Championships and a College Football Playoff appearance to his name in five seasons. Now, his program is coming off one of the worst seasons that he's had as head coach of Clemson.

Yes, the success is still in the winning, but after a 7-6 record to finish 2025, many analysts don't have the Tigers in the category of being that national championship caliber. That title has been a standard of the program since the College Football Playoff truly became a thing in 2014.

Even with a 12-team playoff now and a guaranteed spot in the ACC Championship, the Tigers have done it once, but lost in the opening round. In 2026, they aren't even a favorite to win the trophy, let alone play in Charlotte in December.

So, why is this happening? Here are seven reasons why Clemson has had lower expectations than in previous seasons.

1. The Rise of NIL and Revenue Share

Swinney built a program based on relationships, a close-knit culture and player development. It allowed many recruits to trust the process without the thought of money at the back of their minds.

When recruits started to focus on the financial aspect of the game, with NIL being allowed in 2021, it added a whole new battle that Clemson couldn't handle.

State schools and bigger markets were able to have more money, and a school in the Upstate of South Carolina couldn't keep up at times. Yes, there were still recruits who decided on the Tigers because of how Swinney handled player relationships, but others decided to chase the big paycheck instead. Take the Luke Ferrelli situation, for example.

When donors are pouring in millions of dollars to these schools, Clemson still has the resources, but it just couldn't keep up, and it led to other recruits looking elsewhere and changing the perception of the game.

2. Coordinator Hires Backfired

After offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and defensive coordinator Brent Venables left for head coaching jobs in December of 2021, Swinney decided to remain in-house with his next coaches for his respective units.

It ended up setting the program back a few years after the end of it.

Brandon Streeter only lasted a year as offensive coordinator before being fired, and Wes Goodwin had Clemson's defense regress each season as the coordinator. After the postseason loss to Texas, where the Longhorns ran for over 290 yards, he was shown the exit door.

While current defensive coordinator Tom Allen had a strong first season, former offensive coordinator Garrett Riley might have had quite the opposite.

Clemson's offense, filled with seniors and returning talent, was 72nd in the country in points per game last season. "Fire Riley" chants were heard at times during home games, and eventually, he was let go in December.

"FIre Riley" chants from the student section

– David Hood (@MDavidHood) September 20, 2025

Those hires set the Tigers back several years. Now, Chad Morris is back as Swinney's last hope, and although there's plenty of potential to bring back the Clemson offense of old, it took five years to hopefully get back from that.

It caused Swinney's program to be set back, but there's hope that the combo that he has now could change that in 2026.

3. Early Transfer Portal Avoidance

Swinney was famous for abstaining from using the transfer portal in the postseason, believing in development over looking for another guy to replace a lackluster piece. Some thought that it was the way to do things, but recent years have shown that's not the case.

Look at the last two national championship winners, Ohio State and Indiana, for example. While some of the key pieces came from homegrown talent, the finishing touches for national championship rosters were transfers to plug in necessary holes.

The 2025 offseason finally saw the Clemson coach dip into the portal, grabbing players like Will Heldt and Tristan Smith to total only brought in three new players to the program. Heldt ended up leading the team in sacks and tackles for loss while Smith played with an edge different from other receivers in the room.

Yes, the Tigers added 11 new players this offseason through the portal, but it came as a learning lesson. Allen made a lot of those signings as well, meaning that is the standard nowadays. Swinney, unfortunately, was on the wrong side of the coin and is starting behind in coaching with experience in doing so already.

4. Struggles Against Non-Conference Opponents

I'm not talking about FCS teams here; it's more the Week 1 matchups that Clemson has scheduled since the 2020 season. Most of the time, the Tigers have fallen short of making a statement early.

Both games against Georgia in 2021 and 2024 were losses, and Clemson only scored three points in each game. The Tigers lost to LSU to open the 2025 season at home and are projected to be a massive underdog in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in September.

Not to mention in-state rival South Carolina, which Clemson has taken care of historically. Since 2022, both programs have traded wins in each other's stadium each season. Other SEC teams include Tennessee in the Orange Bowl and Texas in the College Football Playoff; both were losses.

I'd also put Notre Dame in this category, strictly because of the football market it brings to the table. However, Clemson did get some revenge in 2023 after being embarrassed in South Bend in 2022. That could be argued to be Swinney's best non-conference win since the Fiesta Bowl win against Ohio State back in 2019.

Again, Swinney has a chance to flip the script with LSU in a few months. However, with how things have trended, the top SEC and Big 10 teams haven't been the best outcomes for the program.

5. Developmental Struggles

At the beginning of the 2025 season, the Tigers had several names who could be considered a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Cade Klubnik, Peter Woods, T.J. Parker were some who were named in the top 10 of respective mock drafts early on.

By the end of the season, some were questioning why they were so high initially.

Some players even had their best season as a freshman over the last few years. Former safety Khalil Barnes was a Freshman All-American in 2023 before regressing by last season. Wideouts like Beaux Collins and Tyler Brown had standout freshman seasons before going through injury patches or rep trouble.

The same could be said about quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who threw for 439 yards and two touchdowns against Notre Dame as a true freshman. Then tallied only one game of 300 yards or more over the next two seasons before hitting the transfer portal.

Analysts have said that development will be the key to Clemson's success, and that hasn't been the case in recent seasons. Once again, a chance to flip the script in 2026 with some new staffers.

6. Lack of Complimentary Football

When one thing succeeds, something else buffers, and Clemson has seen that plenty over the last four seasons.

2022 saw a stagnant offense in losses, while a defense regressed following a 2021 season that finished second in points allowed per game. The following year, the offense regressed under a young quarterback in Klubnik, dropping from 30th to 52nd in points per game, while having historic struggles in the red zone, scoring only at a 68% clip. Meanwhile, Clemson's defense allowed fewer total offense per game while averaging over two turnovers per contest.

2024 was probably the best offensive season, but run defense was poor, especially down the stretch in games against Louisville, South Carolina and eventually Texas. Then, this past season, when one unit was on it, the other didn't show up to play complementary.

With plenty of new defensive transfers and a hungry offense with a new coordinator, this could change in 2026. If it does, there should be a consistent top 25 number next to Clemson's name throughout the season. Recent history hasn't followed suit, however.

7. Special Teams Issues

After B.T. Potter left Clemson, the Tigers weren't as sharp from field goal range, let alone punting as well. The program finished 28th in 2022 in special teams efficiency ratings, according to BCFToys.

Since 2023, the number went to 93rd, 84th and 71st, respectively. Clemson's rating has been in the negatives since then.

Kicking was an issue in 2023, only converting at a 62.5% clip. Yes, perhaps the Tigers' biggest kick opportunity was successful in the 2024 ACC Championship game, but other moments have seen the unit struggle in big moments.

Nolan Hauser missed one against LSU and Georgia Tech early on; both losses by one possession. He also missed one in the Pinstripe Bowl against Penn State. In 2024, there were blocking issues on the line, which weren't his fault.

Being critical about this unit reveals that Clemson could be much closer in games, but a missed opportunity on the third unit here and there compounds into greater issues. Hauser is back for his third season, and if he can hit some important kicks early on, it might change how the Tigers approach late-game scenarios for the better.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/clemson as The Seven Biggest Reasons Clemson Football Has Left National Championship Talks in Recent Seasons.

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