Clemson and Florida State Are Tanking Their Offseasons and Their Head Coaches Know It

The college football transfer portal has officially turned into a bloodbath for teams that can't keep up, and two traditional powerhouses are getting absolutely exposed right now. Clemson and Florida State are heading into pivotal seasons for their head coaches with their offseasons in complete freefall. Both programs massively underwhelmed on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal, leaving them staring down major question marks at quarterback and across the roster.

The Portal Is Creating Winners and Losers, and FSU and Clemson Are Clearly Losing

Here's the brutal reality: the transfer portal widens the gap between elite programs and everyone else every single offseason. Surprise departures are gutting key positions at the worst possible moments, and combine that with coaching changes, injuries, and underperformance during spring camp, and you get the mess that Clemson and Florida State are dealing with right now. Their preseason hype has completely evaporated. Both the Tigers and Seminoles came into this offseason in weak positions, and they've done nothing to fix it.

They're not alone, either. Iowa State, South Carolina, and Texas Tech have all suffered significant setbacks this offseason. But FSU and Clemson stand out as programs that had every opportunity to reload and completely failed to do so.

The 2027 Class Is Moving Without Them

Meanwhile, the 2027 recruiting class is shaping up around them. Five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews, the nation's top uncommitted recruit, is scheduled to announce his decision Friday live on CBS Sports' College Football YouTube channel. That's the kind of talent these programs desperately need right now, and teams like Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Michigan, USC, and Ole Miss are positioning themselves to land big-time recruits in the near future.

National and team recruiting analysts from the 247Sports network have been logging Crystal Ball predictions over the past few days for Matthews and several other top 100 and high-four-star recruits in the 2027 class. These developments are forcing programs like LSU, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, and Georgia to pivot toward other targets because the top talent is going elsewhere.

For Clemson and Florida State, this offseason is shaping up to be one they'll want to forget. With pivotal seasons ahead for their head coaches and major holes to fill, they needed to dominate the portal and recruiting trail. Instead, they're watching the best talent walk out the door or choose other schools.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.