Dabo Swinney Shares Unfiltered Thoughts on Cade Klubnik Amid Heisman Buzz originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Much of the hype surrounding the Clemson Tigers going into the 2025 season can be attributed to quarterback Cade Klubnik, who will be entering his third season as the team’s full-time starter.
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He’s quickly emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in college football, with ESPN even placing him at No. 1 when naming the top 10 Heisman Trophy contenders.
That’s a lot of pressure, and on Thursday, in a video posted to the “ESPN College Football” YouTube channel, head coach Dabo Swinney revealed his thoughts on Klubnik as the hype continues to grow.
“Well, I think he’s a guy that’s gotten better every year, and you know, last year he took a big step forward, “Swinney said. “I think he’s a winner, and I think anytime he’s healthy and on the field, we’ve got a chance with number two. So, just proud of him, and we just need him to you know, stay focused week in and week out, continue to be the leader that he’s been… That’s where it all starts is trying to you know win your league, you know, be the champion of this league. He’s done that twice now, and if he does that again this year, then he’ll have an opportunity to prove it on a bigger stage.”
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Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney and quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Klubnik did have his best season at the collegiate level in 2024, completing 308-of-486 passes for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns and six interceptions, while also showing off some dual-threat ability with 463 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
Even though those numbers were solid, it was far from a Heisman Trophy stat line, as he received zero votes, so if Klubnik wants to be the first player for Clemson to bring home the award in program history, he will need to seriously improve.
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Leading the Tigers to a second straight ACC title would certainly help his case and as of now, that’s the expectation, with ESPN BET giving them the best odds (+110) to win the conference.
If they did come out on top, it would propel Clemson into the College Football Playoff, where the race for their first national championship win since 2018 and third under Swinney would officially be on.
It’s certainly a tough road ahead, though, as Klubnik’s Heisman aspirations will be tested early on with a Week 1 matchup against the LSU Tigers, who are looking to compete for their own conference title within the SEC.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
