No Clemson fan is content with moral victories from Saturday's 38-24 loss to Texas in the first round of the College Football Playoff. However, one bright spot from Austin was the fantastic play of Tigers' quarterback Cade Klubnik. In fact, the hometown kid played so well against what most people think is the nation's top defense that he is now on the early list of 2025 Heisman Trophy favorites.
Against a Texas defense that averages just 156.9 yards allowed through the air per game this season, Klubnik was able to throw for 336 yards on 26 of 43 passing. What's more, he threw three touchdowns against a defense that had allowed only four passing scores all season.
"Yeah, how many people get that many yards on that group?" Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said about his quarterback postgame. "They're really good. We missed a few of opportunities to punch it in right there on fourth and one. We think we had it if we stayed outside and kind of cut in, but we just didn't get it done.
"He's just a competitor. That kid, he's one of the guys that spoke up in there and just talked about, he said this is the most fun he's ever had playing football this team, this year. Most fun he's ever had. Pretty strong statement.
"I think that speaks to the closeness of this group. But he's an unbelievable player, number one. Great young man, he's just grown into this amazing leader. Really close group. You're just never out of it with him. He'll always give you a chance.
"It's disappointing certainly we wanted to win the game. He didn't do anything to take away from the type of season he's had this year. It's been just an amazing year, and he'll build on it."
What was impressive is that, Klubnik had a huge game against Texas despite having almost no rushing attack to help give the Clemson offense balance. The Tigers ran for only 76 yards on 24 carries, an average of 3.2 yards per rush.
In other words, Texas knew that Klubnik was Clemson's only hope of moving the ball and yet he still was able to have a big day through the air. It was a strong way for the junior signal-caller to end the season.
He finishes the season with 3,639 passing yards and 36 TD passes to only six interceptions. Additionally, he ran for 463 yards and seven more scores.
For all of Clemson's warts this season, and there were plenty, Klubnik was able to overcome them with his play more often than not. Now, the key will be for him to have big games against all the quality teams he plays next season, that is if he hopes to be a true Heisman Trophy contender.
That's because, in 2024, he didn't have enough big games against top opponents. For instance, in the season opener, he was bottled up by Georgia to the tune of 142 total yards and no TDs with one pick.
Against Louisville, in a game that all Clemson fans would love to forget, he was only 33 of 56 passing for 228 yards and one TD. That night, he had a quarterback rating of just 46.3.
In the loss to South Carolina, though he did have two rushing touchdowns and put up over 300 yards of total offense, he had no passing touchdowns and he threw the game-clinching interception deep in USC territory in the final minute. Performances such as these have to be eliminated next season.
Instead, he needs more Heisman-worthy moments such as his game-winning 50-yard TD run in the final minute in the 24-20 victory over Pitt. Or he needs to have showings against top-10 teams as he had against then-No. 8 SMU in the ACC Championship Game when he amassed 283 total yards while throwing four TD passes.
Though there was no defining heroic moment against Texas, what Klubnik did against the best defense the SEC has to offer set himself up to be one of the top players in the nation heading into next season. That is assuming he returns and doesn't head to the NFL in a year in which the college quarterback crop is not as stacked as it has been.
"I'm just trying to deal with the emotions of tonight," he said after the loss when asked about his future. "Yeah, just trying to deal with the emotions of tonight and just trying to deal with I've got to play my last football game with a lot of these guys. I'm not really thinking about me right now. I'm trying to think about all of the relationships I've built over the last three years. That's really what I'm thinking about now."
Assuming that Klubnik returns for his senior year, he's going to be on the list of 2025 Heisman Trophy favorites after posting outstanding numbers all season long. What's more, by having his best game of the season against the nation's best defense, he showed on the biggest stage that he is one of the top quarterbacks in the country. That should give Clemson fans a bit of solace and a lot of hope as they move forward after a disappointing playoff loss.