In a recent episode of David Pollack’s See Ball Get Ball show, Pollack gave his predictions for who he thinks will be in New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony this year.

Pollack, the ex-ESPN analyst and former Georgia/NFL linebacker, named star Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik as one of the players he believes will be a 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist.

“Cade Klubnik has to be – again, Clemson’s team is going to be great. … Cade Klubnik, 43 touchdowns a year ago, almost 500 rushing,” Pollack said. “Guess who’s back [at Clemson] – everybody. The best wide receiving corps top to bottom in college football, top to bottom. I think they’ve got four guys that are going to play in the NFL, at least four guys that are going to play in the NFL.”

As a junior last season, Klubnik completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns with six interceptions, while rushing for 463 yards and seven more scores on the ground.

The former five-star prospect from Texas was one of two quarterbacks in the country to throw for more than 3,500 yards and run for 400 last season. Klubnik also finished second nationally in total touchdowns with 43. He was third nationally in touchdown passes with 36, and his six interceptions were second fewest among quarterbacks who threw 28 or more touchdown passes in 2024.

Klubnik’s performance last season guided the Tigers back to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020, and Pollack brought up Klubnik’s impressive performance against Texas in the CFP first-round game.

Though the Tigers lost in Austin, 38-24, Klubnik carved up the Longhorns’ defense like nobody else did last season, throwing for 336 yards — the most by an opposing player against Texas last season — and three touchdowns. Despite the absence of a running game – Clemson rushed for just 76 total yards – Klubnik nearly willed Clemson to a comeback victory after the Tigers trailed by 18 points at halftime.

“Here’s another thing that I want to throw out there and I want people to realize – Cade Klubnik, against an elite Texas defense, threw for 336. He threw for three touchdowns,” Pollack pointed out. “He’s the only one that made that Texas defense look very average. He made big play after big play. Again, no running game.”

Pollack also predicted Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt to be Heisman finalists, adding that LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier – who will face Clemson in Week 1 – “deserves to be mentioned” as well.

Accoding to the latest odds from DraftKings, Klubnik (+1000) has the third-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025, behind only Nussmeier (+900) and Manning (+700).

With Klubnik leading the way, Pollack believes Clemson will be in the hunt for the national title this season.

“I mean, I just think another year of maturity. He put up the big numbers. He was very successful, and now, next on the list, I don’t think he goes backwards,” Pollack said. “I think he showed you the explosive playmaking down the field. I don’t see how he’s not there [as a Heisman finalist]. I don’t see how Clemson’s not in the national championship picture this year. That’s why I’m all in, baby.”

During a different episode of his See Ball Get Ball show back in April, Pollack ranked Klubnik as the No. 1 returning quarterback among teams that ended the 2024 season in the final College Football Playoff rankings.