With college football now less than 100 days away, Clemson's season opener against LSU is quickly coming into focus. The Tigers will travel to Baton Rouge on Sept. 5 for what figures to be one of the toughest tests on their schedule. As anticipation builds, one of the biggest questions surrounding Clemson's 2026 campaign centers on a position that has historically driven championship-level success in Tigertown: running back.
While much of the offseason conversation has focused on quarterback Christopher Vizzina and the perception of Clemson's passing game, there is a growing belief that the Tigers' ceiling this season could ultimately be determined by the emergence of running back Gideon Davidson.
Davidson enters the season as the likely frontrunner in Clemson's backfield, assuming he is fully healthy. He will also make a notable jersey change, moving from No. 9 to No. 8. The No. 9 jersey carries significant weight in Clemson football history, having been worn by two of the program's most productive running backs: Wayne Gallman and Travis Etienne.
Comparing any running back to Etienne is an unfair standard. The former Clemson star finished his career with 4,952 rushing yards and 70 rushing touchdowns, numbers that remain among the most impressive in college football history. What's perhaps most remarkable is that Etienne accomplished those totals on just 686 carries.
Gallman was highly productive in his own right, finishing with 676 carries and 34 rushing touchdowns. Yet the comparison highlights just how extraordinary Etienne's career was. Despite carrying the ball only 10 more times than Gallman, Etienne produced 36 more rushing touchdowns and averaged 7.2 yards per carry compared to Gallman's 5.1.
No one is expecting Davidson to replicate Etienne's career trajectory. However, if Clemson can get production that resembles Gallman's level—or lands somewhere between Gallman and Etienne—the outlook for the Tigers could change dramatically.
That possibility becomes even more intriguing when considering Clemson's offensive direction. The expectation is that Chad Morris will place a greater emphasis on the running game than fans saw in recent seasons. A stronger commitment to the ground attack could help alleviate pressure on the quarterback position and provide the offense with greater balance.
Many preseason projections currently place Clemson in the seven- or eight-win range. Those predictions are largely based on the belief that last season's struggles were more indicative of the program's current standing than the sustained success Clemson enjoyed throughout much of Dabo Swinney's tenure. The Tigers face a challenging schedule that includes an opener at LSU, as well as matchups against North Carolina, Miami, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Duke, and South Carolina.
That is why Davidson's development could become one of the most important storylines of the season.
Last year, Davidson recorded 60 carries for 260 yards and did not score a touchdown. Much of the workload in the running game belonged to Adam Randall, who has since moved on to the NFL. The departure creates an opportunity for Davidson to assume a much larger role in the offense.
If Davidson can seize that opportunity and become the type of dependable, high-volume runner Clemson has relied on in the past, the Tigers may outperform many of the preseason expectations surrounding them.
Whether he reaches Gallman's level, approaches Etienne's impact, or lands somewhere in between, Davidson’s production will likely have a significant influence on Clemson's success in 2026.
