Where South Carolina and Clemson rank in the way-too-early Top 25 polls

Chapel Fowler
Clemson Tigers safety Andrew Mukuba (1) tackles South Carolina Gamecocks running back Juju McDowell (21) on Saturday, November 26, 2022.

Coach Shane Beamer and the South Carolina football team could be flirting with their first preseason Associated Press Top 25 ranking in nine years come next August.

That’s according to a survey of 11 “way too early” Top 25 college football rankings published after Georgia routed TCU 65-7 in Monday night’s national championship game.

USC appeared on six of 11 rankings and was as high as No. 19 in Sports Illustrated’s 2023 rankings after a memorable second season under Beamer last fall.

The Gamecocks went 8-5, scoring back-to-back wins against Top 10 Tennessee and Clemson teams to close the regular season as well as their first finish in the final College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings (No. 19).

South Carolina closed its season with a 45-38 loss to Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl and logged its first finish in the final Associated Press Top 25 rankings since 2013 (No. 23).

As for Clemson? The Tigers appeared as high as No. 8 in a survey of 11 outlets’ rankings but more frequently fell in the No. 11 to No. 15 range — a notable projected drop-off for a program that’s been an AP preseason Top 5 team for seven-straight seasons dating back to 2016.

Under coach Dabo Swinney, Clemson went 11-3 in 2022, won a seventh ACC championship in eight seasons and lost to Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.

Here’s a closer look at 2023 “way too early” top 25 rankings for Clemson and South Carolina, as well as some national perceptions of each program.

2023 way too early top 25 rankings

What they’re saying about South Carolina

  • Pat Forde, Sports Illustrated: “Shane Beamer has pretty emphatically refuted the notion that he was hired for only his last name, winning 15 games his first two seasons on the job and scoring some landmark upsets (Tennessee, Clemson, North Carolina). And his recruiting heightens the likelihood that South Carolina will remain on the ascent.”

  • Brad Crawford, 247Sports: “Can Shane Beamer and South Carolina build on their 8-5 finish in 2022? The Gamecocks are hoping to do so with a top 20 signing class and transfer help. Much of the positivity surrounding South Carolina’s spot in our preseason rankings depends on the return of Spencer Rattler and Juice Wells.” (Wells, who was in the SEC in receiving yards last year, announced Monday he’s returning in 2023.)

  • Max Chadwick, Pro Football Focus: “South Carolina played the role of spoiler in 2022 … The big question is whether quarterback Spencer Rattler returns to Columbia next season. It wasn’t always pretty, but the Oklahoma transfer showed off his talented arm with 21 big-time throws, a top-15 mark in the Power Five.”

What they’re saying about Clemson

  • RJ Young, Fox Sports: “Even with a quarterback controversy in full bloom, Dabo Swinney succeeded in winning 11 games in 2022. Now, with Cade Klubnik very much The Guy, the Tigers will look to defend their ACC title and return to the CFP for the first time since 2020.”

  • Paul Myerberg, USA Today: “Cade Klubnik’s sloppy Orange Bowl against Tennessee raises some questions about whether he’ll be able to play at an all-conference level in his first year in the full-time job, though he’ll benefit from an entire offseason as the established starter. There also are concerns about the offense in general, and specifically whether Clemson can give Klubnik the talent he needs at wide receiver.”

  • Steven Lassan, Athlon Sports: “With Florida State’s recent improvement, combined with the question marks surrounding Clemson in ’23, coach Dabo Swinney’s team may not rank as the preseason favorite in the ACC … As usual, Clemson’s defense will rank among the best in the ACC. But coordinator Wes Goodwin must replace tackle Bryan Bresee, end Myles Murphy, and linebacker Trenton Simpson.”

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