CBS Sports looks at Clemson football returning starters in 2026

If Clemson football and coach Dabo Swinney hope to get back to the top of the mountain in the ACC after a 7-6 season, let alone at the national level in 2026, they will have to do so with only a handful of returning starters. CBS Sports' Cody Nagel recently broke down the list of all 136 FBS teams with the most -- and fewest -- returning starters. Lincoln Riley's USC Trojans lead the way with 15 starters expected to return in 2026, followed by several teams with 14 that expect to compete for a national championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Teams with 14 returning starters include the Georgia Bulldogs , Oregon Ducks , Oklahoma Sooners , and Notre Dame . Clemson is much further down the list. Per CBS Sports' math, the Tigers have only eight returning starters expected to be on the roster when they open the season on Sept.

5 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge against LSU. The Tigers' season opener will also feature a new quarterback at the helm as redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina will take the reins from Cade Klubnik barring something unexpected. Per Nagel at CBS Sports: "For this project, returning starters are defined as players who logged at least six starts during the 2025 season, including postseason games.

Only offensive and defensive starters are included; special teams players were excluded. Most spring rosters across the FBS have now been updated, though a small portion remain incomplete or unavailable. Programs without a published roster were reviewed as carefully as possible to determine returning starters for 2026.