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The 2024 college football season was a roller coaster ride for the Clemson Tigers, featuring plenty of peaks and valleys.
Overall, it was rather successful.
They took home another ACC championship, defeating the SMU Mustangs to earn a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff where they were defeated by the Texas Longhorns in the first round.
Beginning preparations for the 2025 season, some major changes have already been made.
A few players have entered the transfer portal and left the program, but the biggest change comes from the coaching staff.
Wes Goodwin is out as defensive coordinator and Tom Allen, who held the position with the Penn State Nittany Lions, is taking over.
Uncharacteristically under head coach Dabo Swinney, the Tigers were not very dominant on the defensive side of the ball in 2024. They are hoping Allen can help change that to pair with what could be one of the most talent-laden offenses in college football.
Led by Cade Klubnik, who will be a senior and in his third year as the starter, the offense has a chance to be among the most productive in the nation.
There will be some pressure on him to carry the load early on as the running back room is going to need some time to figure things out. With veteran Phil Mafah moving on, there is a chance the starter in 2025 will be a freshman.
Given all of the experience he has gained, that shouldn’t be an issue for Klubnik, who took his game to another level this past fall, cementing his status as one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
His commitment to Clemson for 2025 ensures expectations will be through the roof again, as a 10-plus win campaign and a spot in the College Football Playoff will be the goal.
There will also be plenty of scouts keeping an eye on Klubnik throughout the campaign, as he is one of the top-ranked quarterbacks for the 2026 NFL draft as well.
Matt Miller of ESPN has listed him, along with Drew Allar of Penn State and Garrett Nussmeier of the LSU Tigers, as the top quarterbacks in his early look at the 2026 draft, with Carson Beck of the Miami Hurricanes being a sleeper.
“Klubnik showed his NFL potential in Clemson’s first-round loss to Texas in the College Football Playoff, throwing for 336 yards and three touchdowns. That capped a season in which he passed for 3,636 yards, 36 touchdowns and only six interceptions with a QBR of 78.7 (11th in the FBS). The 6-2, 210-pound Klubnik doesn’t have the biggest arm, but he is accurate and savvy moving in and out of the pocket.”
His emergence as a true dual threat in 2024 is something scouts will be hoping to see more of in 2025. In addition to his movement in the pocket that Miller mentioned, he was using his legs to create plays as well.
On the season he ran for 463 yards and seven touchdowns, becoming a threat on the ground, creating another thing opposing defenses have to account for when he is on the field.
