Clemson fans, take a deep breath. Because Cade Klubnik just pulled the coldest offseason glow-up we didn’t see coming. Last fall, folks were clowning this man like it was open mic night. ‘Overrated.’ ‘Dabo’s dud.’ ‘He isn’t that guy.’ Yeah, they were loud with it. But now? The same QB who had people side-eyeing every snap just might be college football’s next QB1. Word on the street is NFL scouts are tossing around comparisons to former Heisman-winning No.1 QBs.

So what flipped? Klubnik didn’t just bounce back—he detonated. After a brutal start to 2023, he came back in 2024 and dropped video game numbers. Try this: 3,639 passing yards, 36 TDs, only six picks. Oh, and 463 rushing yards with 7 more scores on the ground. Dual-threat demon mode is fully unlocked. The same guy folks thought might transfer? He stayed, bet on himself, and now he’s winning the long game. Fast forward: he’s training in Cali with Jordan Palmer, aka the QB whisperer behind Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence… the list is nasty.

And Cade didn’t roll solo. He brought the whole Clemson receiver trio with him: Bryant Wesco, T.J. Moore, and Antonio Williams. With Garrett Riley pulling the strings on offense and this crew getting tuned up by Palmer? Dangerous. Real dangerous. NFL Rookie Watch even went public with it: “Cade Klubnik is reportedly ranked as the ‘QB1′ on several NFL scouts’ 2026 draft boards.” One scout reportedly said, “He had the talent to be a second-round pick in this year’s draft. After this next year of tape, there’s no doubt he’ll be a Top-5 selection.”

Wildest part? According to NFL Rookie Watch, Cade Klubnik’s low-key compared to Joe Burrow—a former Heisman winner and No. 1 pick. Klubnik’s stock? Through the roof. Some scouts say he’s a “surefire” top-five pick. Others whisper Heisman. ESPN’s Chris Low has him as an early favorite. Joel Klatt even called him the No. 1 QB in the country. Period.

All those offseason moves? They’re paying dividends. NFL comparisons? They’re floating names like Aaron Rodgers and Joe Burrow around Klubnik’s game. Man’s really stepping into rare air. And after a full summer with Jordan Palmer, his mechanics? Locked in. His mental game is sharpened. He’s stepping into the 2025 season like a man who knows his name’s already in the draft room.

But all that shine leads us to the next question…

Is Cade Klubnik’s Heisman hype getting ghosted by Clemson’s own history?

Let’s keep it a buck: Clemson knows how to produce NFL guys at QB. Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence are walking proof. Both were freaky good, both took Clemson to the natty, and both got their invites to the Heisman ceremony. But here’s the kicker—neither walked away with the hardware.

Watson had an absolute heater in 2016. He dropped 4593 passing yards and 50 total touchdowns. Beat Bama for a natty. You’d think that’s the Heisman locked, right? Nah. Lamar Jackson’s supernova season stole it. Cool. Fast forward to 2020, and Trevor Lawrence, possibly the cleanest QB prospect in a decade, goes off with a near-flawless campaign: 3,153 passing yards and 24 TDs in just 10 games. Still no Heisman. DeVonta Smith, a wide receiver, took that one.

So yeah, Clemson’s Heisman track record? Low-key cursed. It’s like the voters see orange and forget logic. Klubnik could torch defenses all season, run the table, maybe even win it all, and he still might not hear his name called. That’s how much past history is haunting the Tigers.

Thing is, this 2025 Clemson squad? It’s loaded. They’re already top three in early power rankings. Their WR room might be the nastiest in the country—deep, fast, versatile. O-line’s beefed up. Defense is solid, though depth could be shaky. All signs point to a legit title run. So if Klubnik keeps that same 2024 energy, and Clemson rides the wave? He should be Heisman-bound.

But here comes the real trap: offseason hype. It’s loud. Real loud. This is that weird time between spring ball and fall camp where the media starts building mountains out of practice footage. Nick Saban used to call it “rat poison.” Some players eat it up. Others choke on it. We don’t know where Klubnik stands yet. He’s saying all the right things, putting in the right work, but come October? That’s when it gets real.

And even if Klubnik balls out, the Heisman isn’t just about stats anymore. It’s about narrative. Who’s the headline grabber? And who had the viral game-changing moments? Who beat the big-name teams under the lights? That’s where Lawrence and Watson slipped. Their dominance became expected, boring even. Voters want surprises. They want chaos. Klubnik? He’s already trending, so now he’s got to outdo his own hype.

And let’s be real—hype is like summer flings. Loud, fun, and usually over before Halloween. The media’s in love now, but come October, every snap, every pick, every missed read is going to get dissected. But if Clemson’s past has any say in it, he’s going to need more than stats. More than wins. He might need a perfect storm to finally bring a Heisman home to Death Valley. And maybe, just maybe, this is the season Dabo Swinney goes vintage on them.