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Joel Klatt Didn’t Hesitate When Naming the Best QB in College Football

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated May 19, 2025 12:13 PM ET

There are a handful of teams that enter the 2025 season with a real shot at winning the national championship, and one thing most have in common is a talented quarterback to lead them.

Of course, there has been a lot of debate about who the best player at the position truly is, and in a video posted to "The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football podcast" YouTube channel, the Fox Sports analyst named his top QB.

“My No. 1 quarterback going into next season in 2025 is Cade Klubnik,” Klatt said. “I’m a big believer in Clemson, I’m a big believer in Clemson, mainly because I think Cade Klubnik is going to be the best quarterback in college football next year. … It's going to be really tough for me not to go into next season and say, like my Heisman pick before the year, is not Cade Klubnik."

There's no doubt that in 2024, Klubnik did put up impressive numbers for Clemson, appearing in 14 games and completing 308-of-486 passes for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 148.2 passing efficiency rating.

However, those numbers will need to see a boost if he wants to live up to the high expectations he has had since coming out of high school in 2022, where On3 Industry Rankings placed him as the No. 1 quarterback and No. 18 player in the nation.

Klatt isn't the only one with high regard for Klubnik either, as ESPN even placed him at No. 1 when naming "10 early Heisman Trophy contenders" going into 2025.

Now, it will just remain to be seen if he can help Clemson reach what is thought to be some ambitious goals, as ESPN BET gives them the best odds of winning the ACC (+115) and the eighth-best odds to win the national championship (+1400).

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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