Clemson Tigers Named 'Surprise' College Football Contender

The Clemson Tigers are being viewed as a potential "surprise" contender for the 2024 college football season.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney coaches against Duke during the 1st quarter Saturday, November 17, 2018 at Clemson's Memorial Stadium. Clemson Duke Football / BART BOATWRIGHT/Staff

In recent history, the Clemson Tigers have usually been viewed as a favorite when it comes to national championship contention.

That has not been the case over the last couple of years.

Entering the 2024 college football season, Dabo Swinney and company are looking to get back to the top. At the very least, they want to punch a ticket into the College Football Playoff.

Swinney has brought in great talent via the recruiting class and plenty of players are poised to take a big step forward this year. There is no question that the talent and coaching is good enough to make some noise.

Phil Steele, a respected college football analyst, is buying into the Clemson hype.

He listed 10 teams that could be "surprise" teams during the upcoming season. The Tigers came in at No. 2 on his list.

On3 shared Steele's opinion and revealed why Clemson is being viewed in this light.

"Head coach Dabo Swinney's lack of transfer portal use has been criticized, but Steele believes the team’s continuity will be a strength with numerous returning starters including quarterback Cade Klubnik. Not to mention no active coach has made more College Football Playoff appearances than Swinney now that Nick Saban has retired."

Trusting in a legendary head coach like Swinney is always a good idea. He has always found ways to get the most out of his teams.

After a couple of disappointing years, there is no question the coaching staff is motivated to get back to the top. The players need to perform, but the talent is there.

A lot of Clemson's success will hinge on the play of Klubnik. The former elite recruit simply has not played as expected. He has a lot of potential, but he needs to put it all together on the field in 2024.

It will be interesting to see how the Tigers fare this season. Another down year would put a lot of pressure on the school to shake some things up.

Swinney believes in the roster he has created. Right off the bat, Clemson will have a chance to show off what they're made of when they take on the Georgia Bulldogs.

If they start the season off with a strong showing, it will elevate expectations around the nation.