If there is one position at which any team wants to be elite, it would be at quarterback. That's why the Clemson Tigers are going to be considered a national title contender in 2025.
The return of starting QB Cade Klubnik is the main reason many people are so bullish on the Tigers' chances of returning to the upper echelon of the sport next fall. In fact, at least one college football expert believes that Clemson has the best QB in the country heading into the offseason.
This week, Brad Crawford at 247Sports.com ranked his top 10 quarterbacks for 2025. Clemson fans should be excited to see that he has Klubnik as the top player on his list.
"Give Dabo Swinney and Garrett Riley credit for sticking with their quarterback," he writes. "Cade Klubnik was superb during his second go-around with Riley calling the plays in 2024, throwing 17 more touchdown passes than he did the previous campaign thanks to improvements made as a passer. With Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore back to headline a talented group of receivers for the Tigers, Klubnik could have his best season yet as a senior for the defending ACC champions. His performance through the air at Texas in the playoff really showed how far he's come from the pocket. Klubnik threw three or more touchdown passes in nine different starts last season, which tied for most in college football with Cam Ward."
.@BCrawford247 dropped his early Top 10 QB projections for the 2025 season 👀
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) January 22, 2025
Who should be higher?
Full breakdown 🔗 https://t.co/EY3slqNqmO pic.twitter.com/NlHyRIACTm
Crawford makes a great point about Klubnik's development in year two under offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. That's a point that few people seem to be making when discussing Klubnik's stellar 2024 season.
Not only was 2024 the second year for Klubnik to be a starter at the college level, but it was also his second year in Riley's system. Both of those factors led to massive improvements.
In 2023, Klubnik was merely a run-of-the-mill quarterback. He threw for 2,844 yards and 19 TDs with 9 picks. Along the way, he completed 63.9% of his passes while rushing for only 182 yards and four TDs.
This past fall, he took several steps forward throwing for 3,639 yards and 36 TDs with only six picks. What's more, he ran for 463 yards and seven more touchdowns while completing 63.4% of his passes.
It was obvious that the game slowed down for Klubnik in 2024. Now, it is fair to wonder what he could be capable of in year three as the starter at Clemson.
Campbell's projections have Klubnik throwing for 4,004 yards, and 40 TDs with 5 INTs while rushing for 365 yards and more 5 TDs. Those numbers would put Klubnik in the Heisman Trophy conversation and would mean that the Tigers would likely have one of the best offenses in the nation.
While we will have to wait until the fall to find out what Klubnik ultimately does for an encore to 2024, there's no question that he is going to be considered one of the top players in the game. That is why so many people think Clemson football could be a serious national title contender next year.