Clemson Tigers: Five to Watch in 2026
By Stiofán Mac Fhilib
Clemson’s 7-6 campaign last year was the second-worst in Head Coach Dabo Swinney’s 17-year tenure at the Tigers. His pair of national championships in the previous decade are fast receding in an even faster-changing college football landscape. That said, the nine NFL draft picks last month tied a school record in the seven-round draft era, suggesting he has retained much of his talent-identification and development prowess.
The key in 2026 to keep even murmurs of the phrase ‘hot seat’ at bay will be to get back to translating that talent into results on the field. A schedule that starts in the other Death Valley in Baton Rouge and includes visits from Miami and rivals, South Carolina, will be challenging. He’ll need most, if not all, of these five key players to make major contributions this Autumn.
The highly touted, national top-50 recruit attempted just 34 passes in 2024 and 71 in 2025 after redshirting his freshman season and has thrown for under 600 yards in his career. His lone start to date came last year in a 24-35 defeat at home to SMU, though he went 29 for 42 and 317 yards with 3 TDs and no INTs. His three scoring passes were the most by a Clemson QB on his starting debut since a certain Deshaun Watson back in 2014.
The ability of the Alabama native to finally translate his High School promise into college production as a season-long starter will play a key role in just how close the Tigers come to challenging for the ACC title and a playoff berth.
Moore was another very highly ranked HS recruit from Florida who was pressed into action from the very start of his freshman season. He has a remarkable record of catching at least a pass in every single one of the 27 games Clemson have played in his first two seasons. And he started 22 of them.
He notched 651 yards on 45 catches as a freshman – including his first 100-yard game in the playoff defeat to Texas – and then a team-leading 837 on 52 receptions in his sophomore year, earning him 3rd Team All-ACC honours. His career-high 124-yard game against SMU in 2025 also saw him catch Christopher Vizzina’s first-ever college TD pass. That is a connection Tigers fans will hope to see repeated much more frequently in 2026.
The Indiana native began his college career at Purdue, where he appeared in all 24 of the Boilermakers’ games in his first two seasons. His sophomore year saw him notch 10 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and a fumble recovery return for a TD. He then became something of a rarity: a Dabo Swinney transfer into Clemson.
In 2025 he certainly justified the decision. He led the Tigers’ DL in tackles, with 48 in total, including 15.5 for a loss, and led the team with 7.5 sacks. His ability off the edge is a huge factor in Clemson’s pass rush and after being rewarded with a 3rd team All-ACC selection as a Junior, he will be keen to elevate his game even further, both for his team and his draft stock.
Brown was the most highly rated HS recruit of all these five players. He won the Butkus Award for the best linebacker in high school football, was voted Mr Football in his native Georgia, and was named the nation’s top all-round athlete for his prowess across not only football but also wrestling and track. And the opponents he has chased down and tackled will surely attest to his ability at those other two sports!
The biological sciences major who aims to become a paediatrician carried on in college where he left off in HS. He was a true Freshman All-American and ACC Defensive rookie of the year after finishing second on the team in tackles with 87, as well as 11.5 tackles for a loss and 5 sacks.
As a sophomore, he led the team with 107 tackles – 13.5 for a loss – and another 5 sacks. He also had a forced fumble and fumble recovery en route to becoming a 3rd team All-American and an Academic All-American. He is the beating heart of the Tigers’ defense and a game-planning nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators.
After losing Safety, Ricardo Jones, to Vanderbilt, the Tigers will be without their Interception leader (6) from last season. They also lost Cornerback Avieon Terrell to the draft (to the Atlanta Falcons in Round 2), a player who led the defensive backs in tackles and the team in passes defensed (9) and forced fumbles (5).
They will need experienced players like Hampton to step up and fill that void. The Florida native has played in all 27 Tigers games in the last two years, starting 17, and contributing 3.5 tackles for a loss, 17 pass breakups and 3 INTs, including a 53-yard pick-six against NC State in just his second college game. With the Tigers due to face some very good QBs in 2026, an uptick in the defensive backfield from the likes of Hampton will be essential for success.
STIOFÁN MAC FHILIB
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A VERY LONG-DISTANCE SUBWAY ALUMNUS OF NOTRE DAME, COUNTY ANTRIM-BASED STIOFÁN HAS BEEN A FAN OF THE FIGHTING IRISH SINCE 2000. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @SMACFHILIB.