3 Clemson Tigers who won't be back in 2025 after CFP exit and who will replace them

With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, it seemed like the Clemson Tigers might have no path available to them to make the College Football Playoff. Fittingly for a wild 2024 season in the sport, though, the paths quickly opened up for Dabo Swinney's team with a Miami loss to Syracuse. They then clinched their automatic berth with a nail-biter in the ACC Championship Game as Nolan Hauser's last-second 56-yard field goal staved off a furious SMU second-half comeback.

Clemson came into the CFP as the No. 12 seed, putting them on the road against Texas. Early on, it looked as if the Tigers might be able to hang tough with the Longhorns. Unfortunately, as the game wore on, Cade Klubnik and Co. came up short in the red zone one too many times while the defense clearly didn't have enough answers from start the finish. The end result was a 38-24 loss and a First Round exit from the Playoff.

Having said that, there are some signs of hope with Clemson moving forward. Swinney has finally started to show willingness to utilize the transfer portal already going into 2025 and many of their key contributors are also set to return. It seems like Klubnik will be back next season, and so too will the likes of Peter Woods, Antonio Williams and many others barring portal surprises.

There will, however, be a few key losses as well for the Tigers going into the 2025 season. How they replace those losses will be just as important, so let's take a quick look at three crucial Clemson players who won't return in 2025 and who is the next man up in those spots. (Note: These are not all certainties but, rather, likely departures from the Tigers.)

3. RB Phil Mafah

Phil Mafah came to Clemson in the 2021 recruiting cycle and was immediately thrown into the fold in the backfield as injuries piled up in the Tigers backfield. He's been at least a part of the run game ever since then but took over as the featured back in the offense finally in the 2024 campaign.

While injuries slowed him down toward the end of the year, including putting his status for the CFP matchup in question leading up to the game, he finished the year with 214 carries for 1,106 yards, both career-highs, and eight scores, a step down from his 13 touchdowns a year ago. It's likely, even if he's a late-round pick, he'll now take his talents to the NFL.

That will leave a hole in the Clemson backfield, one that's become a bit more complicated to fill.

Clemson's replacement for Phil Mafah: Keith Adams Jr.

Jay Haynes, a freshman in 2024, was second on the Tigers in carries this past year and figured to be the lead back after Mafah's departure. With a torn ACL suffered this season, however, his availibility could be in question at the start of the 2025 campaign. That will surely thrust Keith Adams Jr. into a bigger role, despite having only 27 carries prior to the College Football Playoff and then logging only 11 yards on three totes against Texas.

All told, though, even if Adams is the replacement on the depth chart, it's likely that we see Clemson go with a by-committee approach in the run game either all season or until someone emerges as the most trustworthy and consistent option.

2. OG Marcus Tate

On one hand, you could make the argument that changes on the offensive line are a good thing for the Tigers moving forward. Though the unit as a whole improved throughout the season, the simple truth of the matter is that the offensive line has been a problem area for Swinney's teams, not just in 2024, but in recent years as a whole. But among guards in the 2024 season, Marcus Tate was the clear standout at Clemson and is now set to depart the program.

Tate didn't log every snap at guard this season but he was the best performer, logging the highest run-blocking and pass-blocking grades at the position according to PFF ($). That's not nothing, especially for a unit that, as mentioned, was sometimes considered a weakness for the offense. So replacing Tate on the inside, particularly at his primary position at left guard on the interior blindside of the mobile Klubnik, will be critical to the program's outlook and future success.

Clemson's replacement for Marcus Tate: Harris Sewell

Former 4-star recruit from the 2023 cycle, Harris Sewell, feels like a sure option to step into the always-important left guard spot. Prior to the CFP game, he already logged more than 500 snaps at various interior positions throughout this past season. While he was inconsistent in those moments, that experience should prove quite valuable for him as he elevates into a starting role moving forward.

1. LB Barrett Carter

It was a shock to some when veteran linebacker and former 5-star recruit Barrett Carter elected to return to Clemson for the 2024 season. Of course, there were few complaints from the Tigers coaching staff given how vital Carter has been to the program. He continued to be that and his importance and talent are evidenced by the fact that he's projected to be a Top 100 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft this coming April.

Replacing Carter will be no easy feat. He's been a general in the middle of the defense in addition to being highly productive, particularly as a run defender. But this is the Clemson defense we're talking about, which has long been a point of pride for this program amid its elite run. So it only figures that, even if he didn't play the same position as Carter, they already have someone ready to step into the fray as the defensive leader.

Clemson's replacement for Barrett Carter: Sammy Brown

Sammy Brown is only going to be a true sophomore in the 2025 season but he's more than cut out to step into Carter's shoes. He played in a reserve role right away for the Tigers as a true freshman, loggin nearly 400 snaps in the regular season and ACC Championship for the defense.

While there were certainly some mistakes that could be attributed to youth and inexperience, the former 5-star recruit clearly had the trust of the coaching staff right away. That speaks volumes and, with the departure of Carter, there's almost no question that Brown will step in and could elevate even further and more rapidly than he did as first-year player.