USA TODAY Sports ranks top college football QBs entering 2025: Where is Cade Klubnik?
The quarterback position is responsible for all but two Heisman Trophy winners since 2016, and 2025 could see another gunslinger added to the list after Travis Hunter, Colorado's exceptional two-way standout at wide receiver and defensive back, took home the award last year.
Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik, Penn State's Drew Allar, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, and South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers are among the top returning starters for 2025. There's also Texas' Arch Manning, set to begin his first season as the Longhorns' starter after two seasons behind Quinn Ewers.
On Monday, a panel of USA TODAY Sports college football experts unveiled their rankings of the top 25 college quarterbacks heading into the 2025 season by aggregate ballot.
The five-member panel of Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus, Jordan Mendoza and Blake Toppmeyer gave Klubnik the edge as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation entering 2025 over Allar and Manning.
The panel concluded:
"In his second season at the controls, Klubnik's progress from his first year restored the explosiveness to the Clemson offense that had been missing since the Tigers were playing for national championships. Now with even more weapons at his disposal, he should be front and center in the Heisman discussion as the team makes another title push."
Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2024 while leading a resurgent Clemson program to its ninth ACC championship under coach Dabo Swinney. Under the new 12-team postseason format, the Tigers also made the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020.
While no Clemson player has ever won the Heisman Trophy, Klubnik could change that in 2025.
Clemson football schedule 2025
Clemson will open the 2025 season against the LSU Tigers at Memorial Stadium in prime time on Aug. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ABC.
Here's the rest of the 2025 Clemson schedule with announced start times. All times Eastern.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
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