After returning to the College Football Playoff last year, Clemson is projected by ESPN to take another step forward, opening at No. 1 in the network’s preseason ACC power rankings. Analysts see Dabo Swinney’s squad as the league’s top national title threat and the only ACC team currently slotted in the “should be in” playoff category.

Clemson football leads the way for ACC representation in the first US LBM Coaches Poll release of the 2025 season. Here's a full look at the rankings:

As has been the case for the better part of the past decade, the road to an ACC championship in 2025 in all likelihood will go through Clemson. Dabo Swinney's team returns as much production as any team in the country,