Phil Steele’s 2021 Clemson forecast calls for another championship run

Phil Steele ranked Clemson football No. 4 in the nation in his 2021 forecast. The Tigers went 10-2 in 2020 with losses to Notre Dame and Ohio State. Head coach Dabo Swinney looks to reload on the fly after the departure of quarterback Trevor Lawrence and others. The 2021 Clemson forecast calls for a bounce back from the program’s first two-loss season since 2017 with another championship run.

“The opener vs Georgia will be their toughest test but it figures to be a seventh straight ACC title and a sixth straight playoff appearance with a great shot at winning it all,” Steele wrote in his 2021 Clemson forecast.

Offense

Clemson fans got a sneak peek at the future last season when Lawrence missed the Notre Dame regular-season matchup due to COVID-19 protocols. Despite the loss, D.J. Uiagalelei put on a show. He threw for 439 yards and two touchdowns, adding a rushing touchdown. Surrounding Uiagalelei is a mix of new and old support. Freshman Will Shipley joins the backfield alongside returning back Lyn-J Dixon. At wide receiver, Justyn Ross makes his return from injury beside young stars E.J. Williams, Joseph Ngata and Frank Ladson. Steele projects a step back from last season’s 43.5 points per game, primarily due to the amount of overhaul in proven-productive players.

Defense

The Tigers bring back nine starters from 2020 and look to build on a solid 2020 campaign. Safety Nolan Turner returns for his fifth year and linebacker James Skalski enters his sixth season to anchor the defense. Second-year starters Bryan Bresee and Myles Murphy put on a show in their debuts last season. The two combined for 60 tackles and eight sacks. Steele ranks the defensive line No. 1 in the country for the first time in his rankings since 2018. Overall, the Clemson defense ranks No. 2 entering 2021 with a chance to claim the top spot.

Special Teams

Clemson returns its special teams unit with kicker B.T. Potter and punter Will Spiers back. Potter went 12-for-23 on field goals last season and 61-for-62 on extra points. Spiers returns for his fifth season after averaging 44 yards last season. The Tigers also get their top return man back in Dixon, who averaged 23.3 yards per return.

Coaches

Dabo Swinney enters his 14th season at Clemson with a 140-33 record. The Tigers have won six straight ACC championships under Swinney with six straight College Football Playoff berths. He has led the program to two national championships. One of the great strengths at Clemson is the stability of its coordinators. Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott enters his sixth season with the team while defensive coordinator Brent Venables enters year nine. Even first-year special teams coordinator Mickey Conn has been with the team since 2017 as a safeties coach.