The perfect storm: National analyst sees Klubnik as key piece to Tigers' title contention

The main question is whether there will be a limit to what Klubnik and the Tigers can achieve in 2025.

Grayson Mann · Staff Writer · Tuesday, May 20 2025

Entering last fall, the discussion surrounding Cade Klubnik was whether he was capable of bringing Clemson back as a title contender.

Fast forward about a year, and the main question is whether there will be a limit to what Klubnik and the Tigers can achieve in 2025.

Clemson has been the subject of plenty of national hype entering the 2025 season, returning a bevy of talented players, which included Klubnik's return at the center of it all.

The senior quarterback is considered one of the favorites for the Heisman trophy, with the Tigers poised to have their best chance in quite some time for a national title.

Plenty have hitched their prediction wagons to Clemson doing something special this season, and Joel Klatt has added himself to that list.

The FOX Sports analyst and host of "The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast" released his list of the top quarterbacks for the 2025 season, with Klubnik standing as his top signal-caller.

Much like the many observers entering Klubnik's second year as the full-time starter last season, there were plenty of questions about his ability to lead the offense back to a level where Clemson could compete for a title.

Now, the question in Klatt's mind is how much this high-powered offense will achieve.

"I'm a big believer in Clemson mainly because Cade Klubnik is going to be the best quarterback in college football this season," Klatt said. "I think Cade is tremendous. There were real questions going into the season about Klubnik. Would he be able to lead Clemson? What were they going to be, particularly on the outside? Now, they get him back."

Klatt dived into what makes Klubnik special on the field, noting Clemson has an advantage that most programs simply don't have anymore. The continuity on the staff, as well as the Tigers returning most of their starters on offense, pair well with a quarterback that's primed for another big season.

"He's fantastic, and showed why he was the No. 1 quarterback out of high school when he played so well," Klatt said. "He pushes the ball down the field and had the third most completions in the country on throws that traveled 20 yards or more down the field. He's athletic and has good players around him, as well as Garrett Riley in an offense that he's played in for a number of years."

The FOX Sports analyst believes the model of Klubnik's development will be a path for other teams to follow in a landscape that's dominated by the transfer portal as the way to win championships.

Clemson's homegrown talent has its senior quarterback at the center of it, and Klatt believes that patience will be rewarded with a special season from Klubnik and the Tigers.

"This is a perfect storm for a guy whose team is on the rise," Klatt said. "He's played a ton of football and is experienced. He is the prototype of the type of guy that's going to succeed in college football moving forward, and he's got a perfect storm around him. It's going to be really tough for me not to go into next season and say my Heisman pick before the year is not Cade Klubnik."

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