This college football season, the quarterback landscape is as intriguing as ever. There’s no shortage of talent, but when it comes to trustworthiness. There are just a handful of names of the kind of QB you’d want with the ball in their hands in crunch time. Now it’s the middle of summer, and Scott Van Pelt and Stanford Steve have just survived the chaos of the July 4th weekend. And as the discussion shifts from beach congestion to football, the question looms: Who is college football quarterback Scott Van Pelt most confident in going into 2025? And the Clemson Tiger QB is the talk of the town

Cade Klubnik at Clemson is atop nearly every list, and for a valid reason. The guy’s coming off a behemoth season: With 3,639 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and an ACC title run that reinserted Clemson into the playoff picture. A year ago, Klubnik was coming off a tumultuous sophomore season—lots of people questioned whether he’d ever reach expectations. And now, when Scott and Stanford discuss trust. They reflexively blurted out his name on 9th July on the ESPN channel.

“Cade. Cade Klubnik. You and me both.” Klubnik not only quieted those critics, but he also made NFL draft specialists and national media talk about his future. Klubnik ran for 463 yards and punched in seven additional scores on the ground. But what distinguishes him is how much better he became from the previous year. He increased his touchdowns by 17 and led the country with 13 deep-ball touchdowns. Klubnik has taken his lumps, weathered criticism, and returned tougher, never losing his composure, always grinding. As ESPN’s Greg McElroy said, “When you are the golden goose and you get criticized and you live to tell the tale. Put your head down and then come back in 24, and you’re one of the best players in the country. That’s a guy who I want on my team.”

ESPN draft expert Todd McShay makes big comparisons. “I see a lot of Bo Nix in Cade Klubnik,” he said. “Very similar frame, mobility, creativity, and arm elasticity. Both thrive in chaos but can also operate the offense on time.” McShay even states Klubnik made fewer crucial errors last season than Nix did on his last collegiate go-around, predicting 2025 can be Klubnik’s real breakout, as was Nix’s surge in 2023. But it’s not only about the NFL ceiling. National authors such as Jordan Reid and media sources such as USA Today Sports are placing Klubnik at the top of their quarterback rankings for 2025.

What stands out about Klubnik in the minds of analysts is his maturity and leadership. He’s doing youth camps, volunteering in the community, and displaying a polish and poise beyond the box score. Now, if you’re discussing reliable QBs in 2025, you can’t help but consider the specter hanging over the entire world of college football: Arch Manning. Klubnik may be the odds-on favorite for SVP at present. But there’s something about Arch that creates a palpable sense of curiosity—almost inevitability.

Arch Manning’s limited college experience

Arch Manning’s name has been reverberating throughout college football for years now. As the 2025 season gets underway, there is an actual sense of skepticism surrounding him. Even national pundits such as Scott Van Pelt are raising an eyebrow and posing the question on everyone’s mind. Is the buzz on Arch Manning true, or is it merely a result of his surname? Arch possesses all the physical attributes any quarterback could desire: size, athleticism, and a cannon for an arm. His high school career was nothing less than phenomenal, amassing more than 8,000 yards passing and 100+ touchdowns. There is a catch, though

There is no evidence. Van Pelt spoke directly. “But Arch Manning is being given greater belief than I can ever remember anyone who I haven’t seen do it ever,” Van Pelt said. “But if he was the guy… then Manning would have gotten more [chances] like that one run against Ohio State and like the one snap. I think that was the one play he had.” The reservations aren’t about talent—they’re about record. Van Pelt and others remind us that while Arch possesses the “Manning” lineage and all of the physical attributes. And he hasn’t had an opportunity (or perhaps earned an opportunity) to demonstrate it on the field in crucial situations.

Meanwhile, pundits such as Paul Finebaum are already writing him in as a Heisman contender and referring to him as the greatest college QB prospect since Tim Tebow. The mania, by and large, is running ahead of the facts. Arch’s potential is ceiling-high, but as Van Pelt puts it, “Arch Manning may very well be who he’s suggested to be. But if he is, we just haven’t seen it yet because he really hadn’t played a ton.”  Right now, the only thing that everyone can agree on is that it’s time for him to show it, not just be talked about.