Sometimes when he thinks about it, Cade Klubnik cannot believe how many of his Clemson teammates decided to come back for one more year. Of course, the Tigers quarterback is included in that count.
Clemson returns eight starters from an offense that finished 11th nationally in total offense and 18th in scoring offense in 2024. The Tigers averaged 451.9 yards and 34.7 points per game.
“That is really, really exciting, especially on my side of the ball, the offensive side of the ball,” Klubnik said on the Field Talk Podcast with ESPN’s Field Yates. “It was really fun to see what we could do. We had a really fun offense and a really tight group, with almost everybody coming back.”
The Tigers looked like they were having fun, especially in their College Football Playoff Game against Texas. Led by Klubnik’s strong arm, Clemson ran up and down the field on Texas’ Top 5 defense in the First Round of the College Football Playoff.
The Longhorns ranked third nationally in total defense (283.4 ypg), but Clemson put up 412 yards, the first time Texas allowed more than 329 total yards in a game all season. Klubnik’s 336 passing yards were the most allowed by the Longhorns, as were his three touchdown passes, which made up a third of what they allowed all year (9).
Besides Klubnik, Clemson returns all three starting wide receivers in Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore. The also have back four of their five starters along the offensive line.
“I really want to have a great fourth year, that is really all I want to have,” Klubnik said. “I want to have the best year I have had yet and just catapult that draft stock, hopefully, even higher.”
Last year, Klubnik had a great 2024 season while leading Clemson to an eighth ACC Championship in 10 years and a seventh CFP berth.
One of the top front runners for the Heisman Trophy in 2025, Klubnik completed 63.4 percent of his throws for 3,639 yards and 36 TDs. He also ran for 463 yards and 7 TDs, giving him 4,102 total offensive yards and 43 combined TDs.
Klubnik admitted he did contemplate going to the NFL, but in the end, he knew he still has some improvement to make before playing on Sundays.
“I wanted to hear where I kind of would be at, in terms of the draft and trying to balance that with where I was at,” he said. ‘I wanted to be at a certain spot, and I don’t think I was quite there, so I wanted to come back for another year.”
Besides what they have on offense, the Tigers also return nine starters on a defense many expect to be much improved under new defensive coordinator Tom Allen.
“My biggest thing is I wanted to come back and play with these guys for another year,” Klubnik said. “It is such a tight group. It is crazy how many of us came back. We pretty much have everybody back.”
The Tigers will get back on the practice fields on Feb. 28 when they begin spring practice behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex in Clemson.
2025 Clemson Football Schedule:
(Home games BOLDED; all games on Saturdays unless otherwise noted)
- Aug. 30: vs. LSU
- Sept. 6: vs. TROY
- Sept. 13: at Georgia Tech
- Sept. 20: vs. SYRACUSE
- Sept. 27: Open Date
- Oct. 4: at North Carolina
- Oct. 11: at Boston College
- Oct. 18: vs. SMU
- Oct. 25: Open Date
- Nov. 1: vs. DUKE
- Nov. 8: vs. FLORIDA STATE
- Nov. 14 (Fri.): at Louisville
- Nov. 22: vs. FURMAN
- Nov. 29: at South Carolina