Joel Klatt isn’t measuring Clemsonfootball’s 2026 season by whether the Tigers immediately return to the College Football Playoff.
He wants to see something more basic first: Clemson needs to look like Clemson again in the ACC.
The Fox Sports analyst believes getting back to the conference championship game would be enough to show that Dabo Swinney’s program has regained its place near the top of the league.
“For Clemson, a successful year would be making the ACC Championship Game. They’ve got to do that,” Klatt said. “They’ve got to re-establish that they’re a top-level team, with Miami, in the ACC.”
Clemson has won nine ACC titles under Swinney, but Klatt believes some of the intimidation surrounding the program has disappeared. After the Tigers went 4-4 in conference play last season, he thinks teams such as Louisville and SMU may now believe the gap has closed.
“My wonder, is there still a fear factor of Clemson in the ACC? That used to be a team that was like, man, how in the world do you beat Clemson? I don’t feel like that’s there anymore,” Klatt said. “So, success for me is making sure that Miami doesn’t run and hide in the ACC. You see, for me, a successful year for Clemson means that you’ve got to re-establish yourself as a minimum second-place team in the ACC. What you can’t have is SMU and Louisville feeling like they’ve passed you.”
Doing that will require Clemson to replace several major pieces, including Cade Klubnik, Peter Woods, T.J. Parker and Avieon Terrell. Klatt still sees enough talent remaining, especially with Bryant Wesco Jr., T.J. Moore and Sammy Brown returning.
He also pointed to Clemson’s increased portal activity after the Tigers added 11 transfers this offseason.
“They’ve got to replace a ton of talent, obviously. Quarterback [Cade] Klubnik, Peter Woods, T.J. Parker, Avieon Terrell,” Klatt said. “But they still have a lot of talented players in the woodwork. They’ve got Bryant Wesco, T.J. Moore, Sammy Brown at linebacker, Will Heldt on the edge.”
OPINION: Former QB Cade Klubnik’s NFL window will slam shut quickly
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) August 14, 2026
📸 David Jensen, Getty Images https://t.co/pGwbmFqJOXpic.twitter.com/OUznk1mOpI
Klatt then joked about how dramatically his expectations have changed from a year ago, when he picked Clemson to win the national championship before the Tigers stumbled to a 7-6 finish.
“Last season went about as poorly as it possibly could’ve,” Klatt said. “Maybe my fault. Good news for Clemson this year, I am not picking them to win the national championship. Nice selection last year, Klatt. Way to go [laughing]. I thought they had it all. I thought they had the blueprint.”
Clemson opens the season Sept. 5 at LSU before another major test arrives Oct. 3 when Miami visits Death Valley. Klatt believes Miami should be aiming for an ACC championship and a trip to the CFP semifinals, making that matchup an early measuring stick for exactly where Clemson stands.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Analyst Joel Klatt shares what he sees as a successful season for Clemson