Georgia Tech and Clemson have a long-storied rivalry that dates back to 1898 and were cross-divisional rivals in the ACC. When the divisions split, Georgia Tech gave up its permanent rivals, and Clemson rotated off the schedule for the first time since 1982. Georgia Tech owns the overall record in the series, but Clemson has held the upper hand with 9 straight wins, with Tech’s last win coming in the 2014 Orange Bowl season.
Clemson has been a premier program during that time by capturing two national titles. Their national perception has slipped in recent years as Coach Dabo Swinney has been reluctant to use the transfer portal, opting instead to create a buy-in culture at Clemson and retaining his talent. The results on the field have dipped, but Dabo may get the last laugh this year as his method is paying off by returning the most experienced team in college football. He also brought in a few transfers for the first time to fill in positions that were lacking in depth.
Cade Klubnik at quarterback is the catalyst for the renewed hype in the Tigers this year, and deservedly so after his performance from last season. The third-year starter amassed 3,639 yards through the air and 463 yards on the ground. He kept turnovers to a minimum after struggling with interceptions earlier in his career, but he still took 23 sacks last year, and 5 came in a single game against Pitt. One knock on Klubnik was that his performance dipped against the better defenses. Georgia and South Carolina held him scoreless through the air, and Virginia Tech kept him below a 50% completion percentage. They do return all three starters at receiver from last year, and each had a solid season. Antonio Williams came close to the 1000-yard mark and added 11 touchdowns to earn 1st Team All-ACC honors, and Bryant Wesco earned Freshman All-American honors for hauling in 708 yards with a 17.3 average per catch.
The run game will be the exception to Clemson’s experience with Phil Mafah departing and backup Jay Haynes having torn his ACL in the ACC Championship game against SMU. They’ll most likely lean on incoming freshman Gideon Davidson (3rd-ranked RB per 247) until Haynes can get healthy. Gideon is a top talent, but may still be adjusting to the college game by the time Clemson faces Tech in Week 3. The offensive line will be deep this year after they were forced to use multiple rotations after a rash of injuries hit them in the middle of the year. It’s not just an experienced group, but an older unit with all but one projected starter being a senior, with the lone exception being Collin Sadler (Junior) replacing Marcus Tate at left guard.
The defensive side isn’t lacking in any depth, but there may be a silver lining for Georgia Tech when they match up this season. Clemson held opponents to 161 yards per game on the ground last season, but they were averaged with performances against FSU, Wake Forest, Virginia, and Pittsburgh with an injured quarterback. They had serious struggles against teams with more potent offensive attacks, especially in their loss to Louisville, which averaged 7.8 yards per carry against the Tigers. The combination of Haynes and King with the ground game for Georgia Tech could pose some problems for Clemson. Though the addition of Tom Allen as the new defensive coordinator from Penn State could correct that this year.
The secondary was opportunistic last year with 11 interceptions led by safety Khalil Barnes, who had four of them. Corner Avieon Terrell is another player to watch who led with 13 pass breakups and two interceptions. Their ability to create turnovers kept them in the ACC hunt as Virginia Tech and Pitt were close calls, even with their positive turnover margin. This will be a unit that tests Tech’s receiving group early and should be the best they see all season. If Tech’s speed can find some holes, they should gain an edge over this talented defense.
Clemson will be a clear favorite in this matchup, but they do start the season with LSU and could be dealing with some players banged up early in what’s expected to be a physical matchup. Tech will be Clemson’s first road trip of the season, and Key remains undefeated against ranked ACC foes since taking over in 2022. If Tech can snag the upset, the Yellow Jackets should be favored in their remaining ACC schedule.