Anonymous coaches impressed, talk Clemson Football before 2025 season.

It’s that time of year again when anonymous coaches speak up about the foes in their conference. It’s one of the few instances where fans can see candid opinions, and a few ACC coaches had a few things to say about Clemson football heading into 2025.

The consensus is generally positive, highlighting the Tigers’ culture under Dabo Swinney, transfer portal/NIL interest, and quarterback Klubnik’s potential to excel in year two under Garret Riley. But each coach had their own takes.

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Two think the key to Clemson’s success next season rests on Klubnik’s shoulders.

Anonymous ACC coaches talk shop about Clemson

“How good is Cade [Klubnik], really? His ceiling defines their limit as a program. You should see a big jump as [Garrett] Riley’s playbook expands with him,” said one ACC coach.

From 2023 to 2024, Klubnik saw a significant jump in his production. In Riley’s first season as offensive coordinator, the third-year QB went from 2,844 yards passing on 454 attempts to 3,639 yards on 486. The impact was felt even more on the scoreboard. He threw 36 touchdowns in 2024 compared to 19 the year before.

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The significant increase in the passing game coincided with the emergence of his running game. Klubnik’s legs got him out of a sticky situation more than once last year, but his downhill running also increased. Klubnik rushed for 182 yards in 2023 but racked up 463 last season with six fewer attempts.

“They’re playing the game in NIL now, but they need a big season from the quarterback to be the old Clemson that charges through the league,” echoed another coach, this time adding a little about Clemson’s new approach to NIL. However, another says the Tigers are trending up despite their stance on NIL.

“This is the year we find out if Dabo [Swinney] and his culture can survive in the new era of this game. Two years ago, we put on the tape, and it felt like, wow, their best days are behind them because of the shift in personnel and the stance against NIL. You saw it right away, especially at position groups like receiver where they used to dominate. Now they’re getting better; you’re seeing more talent than the last couple years.”

The culture has stayed steady through the ups and downs of the last few years, and nearly everyone projected to play significant minutes in 2025 developed in the system. So, the ‘more talent’ the coaches are seeing has been in Clemson the whole time, growing over the years.

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The offense under Riley improved in 2024, but the Tigers’ defense was one of the worst in recent memory under Wes Goodwin. Now that Penn State’s former defensive coordinator Tom Allen is on campus, Clemson is poised to turn that around.

“Defensively, they’ve improved by bringing in [Tom] Allen because he knows how to coach high-end talent and be disruptive.”

This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football impress anonymous coaches ahead of 2025 season