Final grades for these five Clemson teams in 2023-24 college sports season (2024)

Let’s start with the big one. The Tigers’ 4-4 start to the 2023 season left a bad taste in a lot of peoples’ mouths, and we’re not just talking about an irate radio caller who pushed Dabo Swinney a little too far (hello, Tyler from Spartanburg).

The team’s early season struggles were almost unprecedented by the modern standards Swinney has set for Clemson football. Those struggles started talk in some circles that Clemson’s dynasty is dead, namely from the likes of ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

But after the rough start, the Tigers showed improvement down the stretch in 2023, winning their final five games, including a thrilling comeback against Kentucky in the Gator Bowl that featured a 28-point fourth quarter to close out the year and give the team some momentum headed into the off-season.

2024 outlook

All eyes will be on Swinney’s team this season to determine if 2023 was a one-off year. Clemson and Florida State have been projected as the top teams in the ACC headed into the 2024 season and thus given the best shot at reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff as conference champion automatic bids.

While the schedule does the Tigers no favors in Week 1 against a Georgia team that will be ranked either No. 1 or No. 2, the college football season won’t be decided on Labor Day Weekend — especially with the expanded Playoff field.

The Tigers return several key starters on offense and defense. The hope at quarterback is that Cade Klubnik will be more developed after a full season at starter under his belt. Phil Mafah is ready to take the reins at tailback, and the Tigers’ receiving corps features a healthy Tyler Brown and incoming five-star freshman Bryant Wesco to mingle with tight end Jake Briningstool.

On defense, Wes Goodwin’s unit returns three anchors along the defensive line in Peter Woods, T.J. Parker and DeMonte Capehart. At linebacker, Barrett Carter has been named to many early season watchlists after passing on the opportunity to test the waters of the NFL Draft after his junior season.

Highly touted five-star recruit Sammy Brown hopes to make an instant impact on defense, as well. In the secondary, R.J. Mickens is back at safety along with returning cornerback Avieon Terrell.

Clemson Football 2023-24 Grade: 78.

Final US LMB Coaches Poll Ranking: No. 20.

The only team on our list to receive an A+ grade, coach Mike Noonan’s club took home its second national championship in three years in 2023.

Ousmane Sylla won the MAC Hermann Trophy, the sport’s equivalent to the Heisman. Sylla scored 13 goals, his final one in a Tigers uniform coming in the 90-minute mark of the team’s 2-1 victory over Notre Dame in the national championship game on December 11.

Sylla is nominated for a 2024 ESPY Award as the Best Men’s College Athlete and was drafted by Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo FC in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.

Clemson Soccer 2023-24 Grade: 100.

Final Coaches Poll Ranking: No. 1.

What a ride it was for Clemson basketball in 2023-24. The team started out well, beginning the season 9-0 to climb to No. 11 in the coaches poll with early season wins over Alabama, Boise State and in-state rival South Carolina in non-conference play.

But when conference play began in full swing in January, the Tigers backpedaled and fell completely out of the Top 25. By the time the team was eliminated in a lifeless one-and-done loss to Boston College in the ACC Tournament, Clemson had virtually zero momentum headed into the NCAA Tournament.

Many, in fact, predicted the team wouldn’t get past its first-round opponent, a streaking New Mexico team that had won its conference tournament with four wins in four days. But the Tigers not only beat the Lobos (soundly), they followed it up with upsets over No. 3 seed Baylor and No. 2 seed Arizona to reach the school’s first Elite Eight in 24 years.

With a trip to the Final Four on the line, Clemson came up short in a hard-fought rematch with Alabama. But given the program’s deepest March Madness run since 1980, plus a road win at North Carolina in Chapel Hill for only the second time in school history, Brad Brownell’s team earns an A- grade for the 2023-24 calendar year.

2024 outlook

The 2024-25 outlook is a bit murky after the Tigers lost key players PJ Hall and Joe Girard to the NBA. R.J. Godfrey also left via the transfer portal. But with Chase Hunter back for a fifth season and Ian Schieffelin returning as the team’s top big man, the Tigers should be ranked in the Top 25 entering the season.

Clemson Basketball 2023-24 Grade: 92.

Final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll ranking: No. 15.

Erik Bakich’s team won Clemson’s first NCAA Tournament Regional since 2010 before falling to a red-hot Florida Gators team that snuck into the postseason. Still, the Tigers earned a top eight national seed and had a plethora of thrilling regular-season victories.

Their eight-run ninth-inning rally to stun Florida State at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on March 23 was followed by another wild comeback the following day to sweep a Seminoles team that entered the series a perfect 19-0.

Clemson climbed to as high as No. 2 in the coaches poll before some late-season stumbles dropped them a few spots in the rankings. Even with the bitter loss to Florida to end their season, the Tigers swept all three games at its on-site regional against High Point and Coastal Carolina to end a 14-year Super Regional drought.

2024 outlook

The Tigers will return key players such as outfielder Cam Cannarella and right-hander Aiden Knaak, both of which were 2024 All-Americans. Knaak took home National Freshman of the Year honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

The Tigers have thus far seen four players leave via the transfer portal (Nolan Nawrocki, Billy Barlow, Nathan Hall and Cooper Blauser) but added Big Ten Freshman of the Year Luke Gaffney, a first baseman who set freshman school records at Purdue. They also added Indiana State outfielder Dominic Listi.

Clemson Baseball 2023-24 Grade: 88.

Final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Ranking: No. 9.

Coach John Rittman’s program reached the postseason but had a disappointing campaign overall just a year after taking eventual national champion Oklahoma to extra innings in the final game of the Norman Super Regional in a 2023 season that featured a school-record 49 victories.

The Tigers never showed the same dominance in 2024, finishing 35-19 overall and seeing their season end in the Tuscaloosa Regional of the NCAA Tournament with a pair of losses to Southeastern Louisiana. That snapped a streak of three straight 40-win seasons and two straight trips to Super Regionals.

Clemson Softball 2024 Grade: 75.

Final USA TODAY/NFCA Coaches Poll Ranking: unranked.