College Football Analyst Believes Clemson Tigers Have ‘Special’ Potential

The Clemson Tigers could be "special" in 2025 in the opinion of a college football analyst.

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney motions to his team during the second half of the game against the Texas Longhorns in the CFP National Playoff first round game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers football team received some incredible news earlier this week when quarterback Cade Klubnik officially announced that he would be back with the team for the 2025 campaign.

A former five-star recruit, he took his game to another level in 2024, his second as the starter. He completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns with only six interceptions.

Where his impact was taken to another level this year, was with his legs, as Klubnik turned himself into a legitimate dual threat. He added 463 yards on the ground with another seven scores, becoming a dangerous player in every facet of the game.

While the season ended in disappointing fashion, with a 38-24 loss to the Texas Longhorns in the first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, it was an impressive feat for the Tigers to even get that far.

Many had written them off after a loss to the Louisville Cardinals, but they kept plugging away. With some help from other teams, they earned a berth in the ACC Championship Game, where they defeated the SMU Mustangs.

That success, coupled with Klubnik’s continued development, is one reason that college football analyst EJ Manuel is optimistic in Clemson’s outlook for 2025.

“You know what it is, too, that’s beyond the jump in Cade’s mind as development and confidence – it’s also proven to his teammates, too. They know he’s the alpha now,” Manuel said of Klubnik, via Alex Turri of Clemson Wire.

In addition to their star quarterback returning, the Tigers have a strong high school recruiting class coming in. They were also able to avoid the exodus of transfer portal players that other programs could not.

Only four scholarship players hit the portal before the deadline; defensive end A.J. Hoffler, wide receiver Anthony Stellato, wide receiver Noble Johnson and safety Sherrod Covil Jr.

For the first time in Dabo Swinney’s tenure, the team dipped into the transfer portal and added some talent to replace the outgoing players. Will Heldt, formerly of the Purdue Boilermakers, was their biggest splash.

Clemson was also able to retain some of their star players, who all committed to returning to the program for one more year, such as defensive end T.J. Parker. Linebacker Sammy Brown looks like a star in the making, as does wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr., two of the best freshmen in the nation in 2024.

All of that talent is another reason Manuel believes 2025 could be a big year for the Tigers.

“The fact that they got a taste of the CFP and this 12-team format – sure, they didn’t come out of the first round, but now they see what it takes… I think that’s something that can be special for the 2025 season,” the former Florida State Seminoles star added.

Clemson will certainly be a team worth keeping an eye on as they are going to be loaded on both sides of the ball. Swinney knows what it takes to win in big games and looks to have the roster to compete with any team in the country.