Latest news with #Klubnik
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Here is every player joining Dabo Swinney at the 2025 ACC Kickoff
Clemson football's representatives for the upcoming ACC Kickoff have been announced, and the Tigers are sending some of their biggest names to Charlotte. Head coach Dabo Swinney will be joined by star quarterback Cade Klubnik, wide receiver Antonio Williams, defensive end T.J. Parker, and defensive tackle Peter Woods when Clemson takes the stage on July 24 — the final day of the ACC's annual three-day media event at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown. The Tigers will share the spotlight with Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, new Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick, NC State and Virginia. This marks Klubnik's third straight appearance at ACC Kickoff as he prepares for a highly anticipated 2025 season. The Heisman hopeful threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns last year, helping the Tigers reclaim the ACC crown and punch a ticket back to the College Football Playoff. He's widely projected as a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. For Parker, Woods and Williams, this will be their first ACC Kickoff appearance, but each brings big-time production and high NFL upside. Parker led Clemson in sacks with 11 and set a school record with six forced fumbles last season. Woods, despite modest stats, anchors the interior with his power and ability to disrupt plays. Williams, who came back for his senior year, is Klubnik's top target after a 75-catch, 904-yard, 11-touchdown campaign in 2024. With its core stars returning, Clemson will aim to defend its ACC title and make another deep Playoff push after snapping a three-year postseason drought. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum sees Clemson as a legitimate National Championship contender
Social media reacts to Clemson landing 4-star 2027 quarterback Kharim Hughley Paul Finebaum was surprisingly the biggest advocate for Clemson football during an ESPN panel on First Take Friday morning. The longtime college football voice broke down some of his biggest storylines for the 2025 season, and made it clear he sees Clemson as the ACC's top hope to break back into the Playoff picture. 'I think they're a sure thing to get back,' Finebaum said, backing the Tigers to reach the College Football Playoff once again. 'They may even have a real chance to win it all. They've got what might be the best quarterback in the country in Cade Klubnik and a defense with maybe three first-round picks. 'And Dabo Swinney, even though he's been out of the spotlight for a while, he's back — and I think this is his best team since the 2019 title run.' While Finebaum was bullish on Clemson, fellow panelist Kevin Clark took a more measured stance. Clark stuck by his prediction from earlier this summer that LSU will walk into Death Valley and leave with a win this August. For him, Clemson's entire ceiling rides on Klubnik's shoulders. Clark argued that Clemson's roster just isn't as stacked as it was during the program's dominant stretch. 'With Klubnik, it all comes down to whether or not — I know this sounds crazy — he can be Deshaun Watson or Trevor Lawrence,' Clark said. 'They're not recruiting quite like they did back then. You'd look at those championship rosters and see NFL talent everywhere. Now it's more top-heavy. 'So it depends on Klubnik lifting them to compete with LSU, with a Playoff team. I could absolutely see them in the CFP, but I'm not ready to say they're in that national title tier yet.' Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
Newsweek
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Paul Finebaum Doesn't Hold Back About Clemson, Cade Klubnik
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Clemson Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney will enter the 2025 college football season as one of the top championship contenders in the country. After making an improbably run to the College Football Playoff last season, the Tigers are hungry for more. They have a stacked roster, led by standout quarterback Cade Klubnik. On paper, they should be able to make some noise. Klubnik is widely considered to be a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It's way too early to know whether he will live up to that hype or not, but the hype is there for a reason. Cade Klubnik #2 of the Clemson Tigers looks to pass the ball during the second half of the ACC Championship game against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Bank of America Stadium on December 07, 2024... Cade Klubnik #2 of the Clemson Tigers looks to pass the ball during the second half of the ACC Championship game against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Bank of America Stadium on December 07, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. More Photo byHaving Swinney on the sideline will always make Clemson a tough team to beat. He has formed the Tigers into a yearly contender, although there have been a couple of disappointing years in recent history. Read more: Cam Newton Doesn't Hold Back About Texas' Arch Manning Despite suffering through those disappointing years, Clemson appears to be back. Paul Finebaum, a notable college football analyst for ESPN, spoke out with a strong message about the Tigers. He did not hold back about Clemson and Klubnik. "I think they're a sure thing to get back," Finebaum said. "They may even be a legitimate shot at winning a title. They have in mind the best quarterback in the country in Cade Klubnik, they have an elite defense with perhaps three (first round) picks on there. That wasn't the end to his opinion. He continued on, talking about how Swinney appears to be back on top of his game. "And Dabo Swinney, even though he's fallen off the face of the earth for a while, he's back now and I think this is his best team since his last national championship appearance in '19." Read more: Urban Meyer Doesn't Hold Back on Deion Sanders' Colorado Culture Those are some strong words from Finebaum. He has always had a soft place in his heart for the Tigers, but naming them a top-tier championship contender is a bold statement. Last season with Clemson, Klubnik finally had his breakout season. He showed the superstar talent the Tigers have been waiting to see from him, completing 63.4 percent of his pass attempts for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. In addition, he racked up 463 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Everything is in place for Clemson to be a potential championship contender. That quest will begin on August 30 when they take on the LSU Tigers. For more Clemson Tigers and college football news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Fox Sports
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
College Football Playoff Predictions: Which Team has the Clearest Path to the CFP?
July is a time for discussion and debate as we consider what's ahead in a 2025 college football season that will undoubtedly be filled with plenty of thrilling results and conclude with the second – and likely final – iteration of the 12-team College Football Playoff. Is this the year Steve Sarkisian and Texas finally get over the hump and reach the mountaintop? With a new quarterback under center and a pair of new coordinators in place, can Ohio State be the first program to repeat as national champions since Georgia did it in 2021 and 2022? These are some of the top debates currently going on as kickoff is now less than 50 days away. But as media pundits across the nation begin to roll out their preseason polls and reveal their national championship picks, it's important to take a look at the path each team must take in order to make this year's CFP. With that, we asked our college football writers the following question: Based on schedule, roster and playoff structure, which team is best positioned to make the CFP this year? FOX Sports' Laken Litman, RJ Young and Michael Cohen debate the topic below: Michael Cohen: Clemson Given the strength and depth of both the SEC and the Big Ten, two leagues whose members will pepper the preseason AP Poll when it is released later in the summer, the exercise of selecting a program with the clearest path to the College Football Playoff is largely about identifying the most talented team beyond those confines, a school immune to the rigors of such brutal scheduling. The 11 most difficult schedules in the country for 2025 will all be played by SEC schools, according to the strength-of-schedule metric compiled by ESPN, and 30 of the top 32 schedules overall belong to programs from either the SEC or the Big Ten. The only outliers are Syracuse at No. 17 and Florida State at No. 24, both of whom play in the ACC. A bit further down the list, at No. 40 overall, is presumptive ACC favorite Clemson, a team that is both the defending conference champion and a trendy national championship pick given the addition of highly touted defensive coordinator Tom Allen (formerly of Penn State) and the return of star quarterback Cade Klubnik, who threw for 3,639 yards with 36 touchdowns and only six interceptions while leading the Tigers to the College Football Playoff last fall. An argument can be made that Klubnik, now a senior, is among the best returning starters in the country alongside Garrett Nussmeier of LSU and Drew Allar of Penn State. The season-opening showdown between Klubnik and Nussmeier on Aug. 30 at Clemson could go a long way toward shaping early-season Heisman Trophy discussion and NFL mock draft debates. But aside from the undoubtedly tricky opener, Clemson has an extremely manageable schedule the rest of the way. The Tigers avoid perennial offseason winner Miami, which is chasing the first College Football Playoff appearance in school history , and host arguably their two toughest conference opponents at home in SMU on Oct. 19 and Florida State on Nov. 8. It's entirely possible that the stiffest tests of Clemson's season will come in bookend games against LSU in late August and the rivalry game with South Carolina — another trendy playoff pick behind emerging quarterback LaNorris Sellers — in late November. Anything less than another trip to the College Football Playoff would be a disappointment for head coach Dabo Swinney, considering how nicely the stars have aligned for his program in 2025. RJ Young: Oregon Combine a sweetheart schedule with a program that has won 10 or more games in the Pac-12 and Big Ten across the last five full seasons, and you're likely to get more of the same. The toughest team the Ducks have on their schedule is Penn State, a team it knows it can beat. The following week, the Ducks will host an Indiana team that has to cross two time zones. Yes, they've got a cross-country flight from Eugene to Piscataway, New Jersey, to play Rutgers, but you're not going to pick against the Ducks here. No one will. The Ducks ought to be a pretty safe bet to finish 11-1 and squarely in the conversation to host a first-round playoff game. Yes, Dante Moore has to show he's good enough to pilot the offense, and there will be new wideouts on the outside, with Evan Stewart sustaining a season-ending injury this offseason and Tez Johnson off to the NFL. But they got better in the secondary with the addition of Dillon Thieneman, who is the second-best safety in the sport behind Caleb Downs. Over the past two years, Thieneman has accounted for 210 tackles and six interceptions. If he didn't play at Purdue, you'd hear more people crow about it. This is also a defense that was adept at putting quarterbacks on the ground with 40 sacks last year. With Matayo Uiagalelei and Bear Alexander on the defensive line, they ought to come close to that number again. There aren't many programs that have been as consistently good without winning a national title as Oregon has since the inception of the CFP. Add to this, the Ducks have won as many Big Ten titles in the past decade as Penn State, and it's just their second year in the league. Laken Litman: Penn State The Nittany Lions are a popular preseason pick to win the national championship this year. James Franklin's team is ranked No. 1 in several preseason polls and appears to have the roster and coaching staff to back it up. After making a CFP semifinal run last year, this team wants to go further in 2025. Quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton return, which will be massive for this offense, especially if Allar can take another step in his development as a passer. He's already projected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and has some new weapons to help him out with several notable wide receiver transfers. Defensively, coordinator Jim Knowles has joined the program from reigning national champion Ohio State, which immediately gives Penn State more clout on that side of the ball. Not for nothing, Knowles knows the Buckeyes inside and out and can provide insight on the matchup when those Big Ten rivals play in Columbus on Nov. 1. Penn State is 1-9 against Ohio State over the past 10 years and a win on the road would be season-defining. The Nittany Lions have a winnable regular-season schedule, making their overall outlook positive. They host Oregon on Sept. 27, providing an early barometer of where this team actually is, and then have a pretty steady month of October before the showdown in Columbus. They'll host Indiana, which is coming off its best season in program history last year, but Penn State doesn't have to play Michigan or Illinois. Perhaps the selection committee will dock PSU in the end for not having a strong non-conference schedule – Nevada, Florida International and Villanova are the first three opponents, – but Franklin should have a strong enough team that realistically should win the conference for that not to matter in the long run. Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman . RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast "The Number One College Football Show." Follow him at @RJ_Young . Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13 . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USA TODAY Sports ranks top college football QBs entering 2025: Where is Cade Klubnik?
As is the case every year, the 2025 college football season will feature no shortage of elite quarterbacks who could end up vying for the Heisman Trophy. 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.
