We are just days past the final college football game of the 2022 season, and like clockwork, we are already ranking colleges for the 2023 football season.
With several months between now and the first kick-off of the season, teams will be shuffling roster spots and making several moves, so we shouldn’t even bother with what the analysts are saying at this point, right?
Hm, that seems odd. Do you mean to tell me that they really think we should be playing in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl? Here are some reasons to consider as to why Clemson should be at least ranked in the Top 10 going into the 2023 football season:
Cade Klubnik 🤝 Antonio Williams
Both of these fellas are returning to Clemson for their sophomore season, and we’ve only been able to see glimpses of what they are capable of. Cade, having been the #1 QB in the 2022 recruiting class, will have a whole season to get comfortable and step into the role of QB1 for this offense. Antonio Williams also shows a lot of promise, averaging over 10 yards a catch this past season. Let them cook and see how this offense can grow.
The Return of Will Shipley
If we’ve needed yards on the ground when they couldn’t be obtained through the air, Will Shipley simply got the job done. He logged over 1100 yards and 15 touchdowns, a notable improvement from 739 yards and 11 touchdowns his freshman year. He’s only getting better, and with some solid offensive linemen, will continue to score at the rate he has been.
A Defensive Recruiting Haul
We’re certainly going to miss critical guys like Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee, but as Clemson anticipated their departures, the team brought in some key recruits to come and make an immediate impact. Five-star defensive lineman Peter Woods was ranked as the third-best DL in the class of 2023. He’s joined by several other four-star DLs, LBs and edge rushers in this class. Clemson’s 2023 recruiting class was also ranked 10th in the country via 247 Sports composite score.
Welcome Garrett Riley!
The coaching crew just leveled up their offensive game with the addition of former TCU Offensive Coordinator Garrett Riley as Clemson’s new OC. As a 2023 Broyles Award Winner and the top assistant coach in the country while at TCU, some outside perspective paired with the talent of Cade Klubnik will surely provide a spark and help light up the scoreboard.
Think Clemson should be a Top-10 team going into next season? Tell us your thoughts on Twitter.