Kirk Herbstreit details why he believes Clemson is 'a very dangerous team'

Clemson seems to be flying under the radar a bit in the ACC as defending champion Florida State and a new-look Miami squad are popular picks to win the league.

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit warned Saturday on ESPN College GameDay to not forget about Dabo Swinney and the Tigers. Herbstreit expects Clemson to bounce back from a 4-4 mark in the ACC last year to compete for the ACC title and perhaps win the league in 2024.

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“Clemson, to me, is a team you better look out for,” Herbstreit said. “Everybody’s making fun of Dabo. Everybody’s talking about how he’s not doing the portal. Everybody’s talking about how he’s being left behind.

“His defense will be good and keep them in every game they play. His quarterback now has a lot of experience. They’ve got skill and they’re better at receiver.”

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Clemson won its final four games in 2023 and is looking to carry that momentum over into this season. The Tigers lost some important players on defense but also return some young talent.

If quarterback Cade Klubnik can take a step forward, as Swinney is hoping, the Tigers could be College Football Playoff contenders.

Klubnik needs receivers Antonio Williams, Tyler Brown and others to step up around him, but if that happens, watch out.

“Clemson, I think, is a very dangerous team,” Herbstreit said.

Kirk Herbstreit labels SMU as sleeper team in ACC

While Kirk Herbstreit believes Clemson is a dangerous team in the ACC, he feels that SMU is a sleeper. The Mustangs are entering their first year in the league and may be ready to make some noise this fall.

SMU finished 11-3 last season and returns a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, including star quarterback Preston Stone.

“The sleeper in the ACC, to me, a lot of people here don’t even know they’re in the ACC – SMU,” Herbstreit said. “Rhett Lashlee and this offense, Preston Stone the quarterback. If you didn’t know they’re in the ACC, you better pay attention, because they’ll outscore people in this conference.”

SMU averaged more than 38 points per game last season. Going from the AAC to the ACC is obviously a step up in competition, but Herbstreit believes the Mustangs will be ready.

SMU opens the season at Nevada on Saturday, Aug. 24. SMU’s first ACC game doesn’t come until the end of September when the Mustangs host Florida State on Sept. 28.