RG3 Says Clemson Will 'Shock The Nation' In 2023 And Contend For A National Championship

The Clemson football team has won three national titles in the program's history, with five appearances to college football's biggest game.

But the last few seasons haven't met Dabo Swinney's standards as Clemson has fallen out of the top contenders in college football.

Its most recent came in 2018 with a victory over Alabama 44–16 in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship. Clemson has appeared in the last six playoffs and won two national championships during those visits. 

For a while there, it truly felt like Swinney had created a dynasty. But in recent years, Georgia has trumped the Tigers for the top spot among the collegiate ranks, while Nick Saban and Alabama consistently deliver a contender year after year.

Clemson has had six undefeated seasons (including the first 15-0 team), boasted six consecutive playoff appearances from 2015-2021, and retains 27 conference championships, including eight since 2011.

Despite a (11-2) record in 2022, Swinney's Tigers missed the College Football Playoff for the second-straight season.

Clemson's offense was abysmal for most of the year, while the defense carried the load.

Former Heisman winning QB and current analyst believes this is the season Clemson rights the ship and it's all because of the changes made on the offensive side of the ball.

"Dabo Swinney realized his offense was archaic," Griffin said. "He went and got someone outside his system with Garrett Riley from TCU. And now they are going to be able to build a system with the perfect quarterback for that system in Cade Klubnik. I've know Cade Klubnik for a very long time, he attended my quarterback camp, and he just has a thing about him that draws people into him and he gets the best out of them. I'm excited for them."

Klubnik was a 5-star QB prospect and the No.1 overall signal caller in the 2022 class. He got the starting nod the last two games of the season for Clemson, and showed plenty of promise. In his first start, he lead the Tigers to a 39-10 over UNC, finishing 20-of-24 passing for a touchdown and QBR of 94.5. He also added another 30 yards on the ground and another score.

Clemson finished 46th in total offense a season ago, a far cry from the Tigers' offenses that were behind the national title runs.

Griffin believes the upcoming season will be a huge measuring stick for Swinney, who is taking an approach that he has strayed away from in the past.

"I think this is a growth moment for Dabo Swinney who always seems to promote within, so I think Clemson will actually shock the nation and be in the run for a national championship."

There are plenty of Clemson haters out there, but the sport feels better when the Tigers are competing with the top squads in college football. Let's see if RG3 is on to something.