Clemson was ranked No. 4 in the preseason AP Poll and came into this season with national championship expectations, only to go 7-6 and finish the year with a 22-10 loss to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Considering how things turned out for the Tigers, ESPN ranked Dabo Swinney’s team as the No. 1 disappointment from the 2025 college football season.
“Clemson’s systemwide collapse in 2025 remains baffling,” ESPN’s Bill Connelly wrote. “Injuries certainly contributed to problems in the skill corps and on the offensive line, but quarterback Cade Klubnik was ineffective for most of the season, whether those around him were healthy or not.