CBS Sports looks at Clemson football returning starters in 2026
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If Clemson football and coach Dabo Swinney hope to get back to the top of the mountain in the ACC after a 7-6 season, let alone at the national level in 2026, they will have to do so with only a handful of returning starters.
CBS Sports' Cody Nagel recently broke down the list of all 136 FBS teams with the most — and fewest — returning starters. Lincoln Riley's USC Trojans lead the way with 15 starters expected to return in 2026, followed by several teams with 14 that expect to compete for a national championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Teams with 14 returning starters include the Georgia Bulldogs, Oregon Ducks, Oklahoma Sooners, and Notre Dame.
Clemson is much further down the list. Per CBS Sports' math, the Tigers have only eight returning starters expected to be on the roster when they open the season on Sept. 5 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge against LSU.
The Tigers' season opener will also feature a new quarterback at the helm as redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina will take the reins from Cade Klubnik barring something unexpected.
Per Nagel at CBS Sports:
"For this project, returning starters are defined as players who logged at least six starts during the 2025 season, including postseason games. Only offensive and defensive starters are included; special teams players were excluded. Most spring rosters across the FBS have now been updated, though a small portion remain incomplete or unavailable. Programs without a published roster were reviewed as carefully as possible to determine returning starters for 2026. Because of college football's evolving eligibility landscape — including medical redshirts, hardship waivers and other eligibility cases — the list below could change slightly as additional roster updates become available."
Here's a look at returning starters for Clemson in 2026.
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Clemson football returning starters on offense
- T.J. Moore, WR
- Bryant Wesco Jr., WR
- Olsen Patt-Henry, TE
- Collin Sadler, OL
- Harris Sewell, OL
Starters Clemson will have to replace on offense: quarterback Cade Klubnik, offensive linemen Blake Miller, Tristan Leigh, Ryan Linthicum and Walker Parks, running back Adam Randall. and receiver Antonio Williams.
Clemson football returning starters on defense
- Sammy Brown, LB)
- Will Heldt, LB
- Ashton Hampton, DB
Starters Clemson will have to replace on defense: defensive linemen T.J. Parker, Peter Woods, DeMonte Capehart, Stephiylan Green, defensive backs Avieon Terrell, Khalil Barnes, Ricardo Jones, and linebacker Wade Woodaz,
Ranking ACC football teams by most returning starters in 2026
- Virginia Tech Hokies — 14
- Stanford Cardinal — 12
- Miami Hurricanes — 11
- Pitt Panthers — 11
- SMU Mustangs — 11
- Wake Forest — 11
- California — 9
- Clemson Tigers — 8
- Duke Blue Devils — 8
- Louisville Cardinals — 8
- NC State Wolfpack — 8
- Virginia Cavaliers — 8
- Georgia Tech — 7
- Syracuse Orange — 7
- Florida State Seminoles — 6
- Boston College — 5
- North Carolina Tar Heels — 5
Clemson football schedule 2026
- Sept. 5: at LSU
- Sept. 12: vs. Georgia Southern
- Sept. 19: vs. North Carolina
- Sept. 25: at California
- Oct. 3: vs. Miami
- Oct. 17: vs. Charleston Southern
- Oct. 24: vs. Virginia Tech
- Oct. 31: at Florida State
- Nov. 6: at Syracuse
- Nov. 14: vs. Georgia Tech
- Nov. 21: at Duke
- Nov. 28: vs. South Carolina
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football returning starters for 2026 highlighted by CBS Sports
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