The Clemson Tigers are off to a somewhat underwhelming 1-1 start to the 2025 season. It feels especially deflating given the significant offseason hype surrounding the team and their star quarterback, Cade Klubnik. Coming off a strong 2024 campaign where Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, and added over 400 rushing yards, expectations were sky-high. The Tigers entered 2025 as favorites to repeat as ACC champions. However, the season opener quickly deflated some of that optimism. Facing a tough LSU team ranked No. 9 nationally, Clemson stumbled, losing 17-10 at home in “Death Valley.” Klubnik had a rough outing, throwing for just 230 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.

Head coach Dabo Swinney was open and honest in his postgame comments, admitting that Klubnik “did not play well” and that the team had some costly penalties and missed opportunities. However, the Tigers did bounce back the following week with a win over Troy. But here’s the thing: despite that 27-16 win, which saw Clemson claw back from a 16-point halftime hole thanks to two clutch touchdown grabs by Bryant Wesco Jr. and a strong running performance by Adam Randall, the whispers from anonymous coaches around the league were already swirling.

“I was not impressed with them,” one coach said of the Tigers’ offense, as per the NY Times. “Clemson’s interior line is seen as the biggest issue. They’re just position-blocking. I don’t think they’re very talented.” This criticism might sound surprising at first. Especially given how many experts nationally rank Clemson’s offensive line among the top 10 units entering 2025. They boast experienced starters like Blake Miller and Ryan Linthicum with NFL potential. But dig a little deeper, and the cracks start showing. Against LSU, the Tigers struggled to establish a consistent running game, averaging only 1.6 yards per carry. They rushed just 20 times for a meager 31 yards. Their leading rusher, Adam Randall, saw only five carries, which tells you how much the line struggled to open holes.

Without a credible running threat, LSU’s defense could focus on pressuring Cade Klubnik without worrying as much about the run. And that pressure? It was relentless. Klubnik looked hurried, rattled, and forced into quick decisions, completing only 50% of his passes; he completed 19 of 38 passes. And without those LSU sack plays, the running game only improved modestly to 53 yards on 18 attempts. That’s a painfully one-dimensional attack. The LSU pass rush was a constant nightmare, and despite giving up just two sacks, the Clemson offensive line failed to provide Klubnik the pocket time he’s used to. The lack of dominant run blocking forced Clemson into long third-down scenarios due to poor first- and second-down yardage.

Then, LSU’s possession for over 37 minutes effectively wore down Clemson’s defense. Clemson’s defense clamped down, holding LSU’s high-powered offense to just three points in the first half. But then things started unraveling in the second half. The major issue? Finishing plays. Consistency wasn’t there—whether it was wrapping up tackles, shedding blocks, or just closing out drives. Penalties were a huge thorn, too, with a couple of pass interference calls on Ashton Hampton and a roughing the passer penalty on TJ Parker extending LSU drives, including the one that let LSU take the lead in the fourth quarter. Tackling was another problem. Clemson let LSU’s Caden Durham break a few long runs that initially looked well contained.

The Tigers filled run lanes better than last year, but couldn’t disengage from blockers quickly enough to make critical stops. The Tigers have clear areas to fix. It’s mainly run game execution and finishing plays on defense. That said, this Clemson team just needs to dust off the rust and get clicking if they want to turn the hype into reality this season.

Cade Klubnik’s season is on the line

Cade Klubnik entered the 2025 season with a ton of hype. He was a legit preseason Heisman candidate, with many NFL scouts already eyeing him as a potential first-round draft pick. But let’s be honest, Clemson’s slow start has hit Klubnik in the wallet, or more precisely, it’s clipping his draft stock. The numbers tell a rough tale. Against LSU, Klubnik was off his game, completing just half of his passes (19-for-38), with no touchdowns and one interception. His QBR was abysmal at 29.7 — a score more suited to a struggling sophomore than a top NFL prospect.

Then came the Troy game, which should’ve been an easy win but turned into a nail-biter. Clemson trailed 16-0 early on, and Klubnik threw a pick-six that nearly crushed the Tigers’ chances. Sure, he rallied with 18-for-24 passing and two touchdowns, but his QBR only nudged up to 42.8. Not exactly star quarterback numbers. Scout opinions reflect this inconsistency, too. One AFC scout said Klubnik’s draft stock is “all over the place.” Some say he’s a Day 3 prospect; others still rank him among the top three QBs in the class.

That kind of division doesn’t happen unless a player is tantalizingly talent-laden yet frustratingly unreliable. ESPN analyst Jordan Reid put it bluntly after watching Klubnik live. “I see issues when he faces pressure,” Reid said. “He was also indecisive and took too long to make decisions within the framework of the offense. Those concerns popped up again this weekend against Troy.” The bigger story? Klubnik’s season could define his entire career trajectory. So, let’s not write him off just yet.