By all accounts, Clemson is a national title contender this year. They're returning a really good quarterback, have recruited well, and are still one of the strongest programs in the nation. They're a shoo-in for the ACC title game, and they're almost a lock for the College Football Playoff as well.
It all just might not culminate in a national title, unfortunately. This is because their Blue-Chip Ratio is a little lower than others. The Blue-Chip Ratio is a percent rating of how well a school has recruited, because that's how good teams stay good. It does not include the transfer portal because, to date, no team leaning primarily on the portal has won a title.
With that in mind, Clemson is still obviously a contender. They're well within range based on their 55% Blue-Chip Ratio. That just pales in comparison to some other squads. In fact, it's 16th among the top 18 teams listed by CBS Sports, which might put their CFP hopes in jeopardy as well.
They rank ahead of Tennessee and Florida State in the metric, but they're 34% behind Ohio State and Alabama at the very top. The higher a team is, the better their chances are. However, there are some anomalies. The 2013 Florida State Seminoles won it with a 53% Blue-Chip Ratio.
Clemson themselves won it in 2016 with a 52% ratio. The Michigan Wolverines in 2023 had a 54% BCR and won. Those are the extent of the outliers, though. Clemson's done it before, and they'll have to outdo the ratio to win once again in 2025.