ESPN ranked the 40 “most important players” for the 2025 college football season, or the players “who could define the season with moments, or long spells, of greatness.”

Several Clemson players landed on the list, with star quarterback Cade Klubnik the highest-ranked among those Tigers.

Klubnik checked in at No. 8, in the category of “quarterbacks with a potential game-changing leap in them.” Klubnik is ranked between Penn State QB Drew Allar at No. 7 and LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier at No. 9.

“In six career games against top-10 opponents, Allar has completed 49% of his passes, averaged just 4.9 yards per dropback and 156.5 yards per game, produced a horribly mediocre 54.9 Total QBR, and gone just 1-5. Klubnik hasn’t exactly thrived against that level of competition, but following his performance against Texas in last season’s CFP first round — 336 yards, 3 touchdowns and an 81.5 Total QBR — his hype has increased,” ESPN’s Bill Connelly wrote.

“He’s the No. 2 Heisman betting favorite (+800), and Clemson should start the season with its highest preseason poll ranking in at least three years. I’ve spent much of the offseason as a Clemson-as-contender skeptic, but if Klubnik torches LSU in Week 1, the table is set for a huge run.”

Meanwhile, Klubnik’s top three wide receiver targets – Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore – are collectively ranked No. 16 as part of the group of “potential stars in need of a breakthrough.”

“Wesco had three 100-yard games and averaged 17.3 yards per catch as a freshman. Moore ended his freshman season by torching Texas for 116 yards in the CFP. Williams has almost 2,000 career receiving yards. They constitute the most impressive receiving corps Clemson has had in quite some time, but even with them, Cade Klubnik averaged only 11.8 yards per completion last season,” Connelly wrote.

“The past eight national title quarterbacks averaged at least 13.6. (The last one who didn’t? Clemson’s Deshaun Watson at 11.8.) It’s really hard to nibble your way to the national championship, and Klubnik’s receivers need to come up big if the Tigers are going to deliver on what probably will be a very lofty preseason ranking.”

On the other side of the ball in the trenches, Clemson’s formidable D-line tandem of Peter Woods and T.J. Parker are both ranked No. 26 as players with “pure transcendence potential.”

“Nearly the perfect defensive line duo,” Connelly wrote. “Despite Woods sitting out three games, they combined for 24 tackles for loss, 23 run stops and 14 sacks last season, and they also welcome dynamic Purdue transfer Will Heldt to the party. But even with these two, the Tigers ranked just 29th in defensive SP+ last season. Most of the two-deep returns, and new defensive coordinator Tom Allen should provide a jolt of energy, but it might take a transcendent step from Parker or Woods for Clemson to make a title run.”

Along with LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier at No. 9, ESPN’s list of the 40 most important players features a bunch of other players that Clemson is scheduled to face this season: South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers (No. 11), LSU LB Harold Perkins Jr. (No. 18), Georgia Tech QB Haynes King (No. 23), SMU QB Kevin Jennings (No. 29), Louisville QB Miller Moss (No. 31) and Duke QB Darian Mensah (No. 32).