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Clemson Faces No. 11 LSU in 2026 Opener

8/19/2026

39 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Clemson opens the 2026 season unranked in fifteen years against No. 11 LSU on September 5, 2026.
Head coach Dabo Swinney, with a 187-53 (.779) record, saw his 2025 team finish 7-6 and was removed from The Athletic’s list after three losses.
Safeties coach Nolan Turner took over the unit and added transfer Jerome Carter III.
Freshman safety Polo Anderson will miss the 2026 season after tearing his ACL in practice.

History

Historical Context

In 2005 the Texas Longhorns, coached by Mack Brown and led by quarterback Vince Young, went 13-0, won the Big 12 title and captured the national championship in the Rose Bowl. Clemson’s 2026 team, under Dabo Swinney with new safeties coach Nolan Turner, opens unranked against No. 11 LSU, hoping a similar turnaround—relying on transfers and overcoming injuries—can echo Texas’s unexpected rise.

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Story summary

Clemson opens the 2026 season unranked in fifteen years against No. 11 LSU on September 5, 2026.
Head coach Dabo Swinney, with a 187-53 (.779) record, saw his 2025 team finish 7-6 and was removed from The Athletic’s list after three losses.
Safeties coach Nolan Turner took over the unit and added transfer Jerome Carter III.
Freshman safety Polo Anderson will miss the 2026 season after tearing his ACL in practice.

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