Clemson Tigers Receive Top National Rank In One Key Area

Heading into the 2024 season, the Clemson Tigers have received a key top of the country ranking.

Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter smiles after recovering a fumble against Kentucky during the fourth quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville , Florida, Friday, December 29, 2023. Clemson won 38-35. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the 2024 college football calendar coming up quickly, the Clemson Tigers are going to be an interesting team to watch.

Can they get back to being a legitimate national championship contender, or will they have another season full of disappointment?

For years, the Tigers were at the top of the national rankings each and every season. This time, they are ranked No. 16 heading into the year.

While they may not be receiving top national rankings in the preseason polls, there are still many reasons for fans to get excited.

One of those comes on the defensive side of the ball.

Pro Football Focus recently wrote a column ranking all of the best linebacker units in college football. On that list, they have Clemson ranked as the No. 1 linebacker corps in the nation.

"For the second straight year, Clemson has the best linebacker unit in the country. It starts with Barrett Carter, my No. 2 returning linebacker in college football. No returning Power Five linebacker since 2022 has been more valuable than Carter according to PFF’s wins above-average metric. He’s especially dominant on passing downs, as he’s the only one in that same group with 80-plus grades as both a pass-rusher and run-defender in that span," writes Max Chadwick.

"Wade Woodaz is another returning starter who was third among ACC linebackers with a 49.7 passer rating allowed in 2023. Kobe McCloud is expected to take over the starting spot vacated by Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and earned a 75.4 PFF grade on 90 snaps last season. Finally, the Tigers also welcomed five-star true freshman Sammy Brown into the fold," he adds.

Defensively, the Tigers are going to need to step up in a big way.

The offense hasn't been as good recently as it was for many years and will need as much support as possible.

Being able to get elite production from their linebackers will go a long way. They'll need the defensive secondary to cut off the big play, but the middle tier of the defense should be rock solid.

Dabo Swinney usually gets the most out of his players, and his ability to build the linebacker talent in place has been impressive. Clemson has recruited well at the position and will continue to reap the benefits in 2024.

Hopefully, they'll find a way to be in serious contention at the end of the season.

It will take a complete team effort and a lot of improvement from many offensive players, but the linebackers are ready to roll.

This ranking is high praise, but well deserved.