Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN’s lead college football analyst, previewed the 2025 college football season by handing out his annual “Herbie Awards” during a primetime special on ESPN on Friday night.

Herbstreit picked Clemson star signal-caller Cade Klubnik as the preseason Herbies’ Best QB.

“We know that Klubnik went through some growing pains early in his career, has really matured and grown up, and really, I think, to me, has a chance to have an outstanding year for the Clemson Tigers,” Herbstreit said.

Herbstreit chose Klubnik over his other two nominees for Best QB – LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Florida’s DJ Lagway.

Klubnik has talked openly about a conversation he had with Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, coming off a sophomore season during which Klubnik experienced his share of struggles. Despite that, Swinney made it clear he had faith in Klubnik and believed in him to be the leader of the program moving forward from there.

Klubnik responded to that loyalty from Swinney with a breakout junior season in 2024, when he 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.

“I think that’s probably the most impressive thing, is that when he was going through his struggles, Dabo Swinney said, ‘Hey man, you’re our guy,’” Herbstreit said. “This is early in his career, in his first year as a starter. He had all that hype, all the expectations. People were expecting him to just walk in and be a Trevor Lawrence type of quarterback, and he had struggles. And I think he internalized some of that, dealt with it, fought through the adversity, and now in the back end, now he’s a seasoned veteran going into his final campaign. I think he’s in position, with the players they have around him, to have a great start.”

Klubnik was one of two quarterbacks in the country to throw for more than 3,500 yards and run for 400 last season. The former five-star prospect from Texas 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 he put on an 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.

Now widely viewed as a 2025 Heisman Trophy candidate, Klubnik starts his senior campaign this year by facing off with Nussmeier – another expected Heisman contender – and his LSU team in a highly anticipated top-10 showdown at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium on Aug. 30 (7:30 p.m., ABC).

“I think it’s exciting to have he and Garrett Nussmeier playing each other, as experienced guys with big, big expectations, going head-to-head in Week 1,” Herbstreit said.