Clemson QB Cade Klubnik massive favorite to win ACC player of the year in preseason media poll
He received 146 out of 183 votes, far ahead of runner-up Georgia Tech's Haynes King (9).
Klubnik returned for his fourth season after throwing for 3,639 yards (10th in the nation) with 36 touchdowns (third) and six interceptions and rushing for 463 yards last season to help Clemson win the ACC championship and return to the College Football Playoff.
Klubnik was among multiple Tigers players who returned for 2025 instead of going to the NFL, including wide receiver Antonio Willams and offensive tackles Blake Miller and Tristan Leigh. Clemson also retained talented underclassmen like wide receivers Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore and kept third-year offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.
Klubnik is Clemson's first player to be voted as the favorite for the award since quarterback Trevor Lawrence in 2020. Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions and rushed for eight scores to lead the Tigers to an ACC championship win and a CFP appearance.
Clemson also had 11 players make the preseason All-ACC team, which led the conference. Pitt had the second-most with three.
On offense, Klubnik, Williams, Wesco, Miller, center Ryan Linthicum and guard Walker Parks made it. Defensively, edge rusher T.J. Parker, tackle Peter Woods, linebackers Sammy Brown and Wade Woodaz, cornerback Avieon Terrell earned the honor.
Clemson had three preseason selections last year. The Tigers went 10-4 in 2024, their 13th time winning at least 10 games in 14 seasons.
MORE: Ian Schieffelin, Gideon Davidson among 10 most intriguing Clemson football players in 2025 preseason
The preseason selections were conducted by a vote from a media panel, including all credentialed media members at ACC Kickoff. These projections come after Clemson was overwhelming favorite to repeat as conference champions in the ACC preseason poll July 30.
Clemson's 2025 schedule features home games against LSU, SMU and Florida State and road matchups against Louisville, North Carolina and South Carolina. The Tigers begin preseason practice July 31, too, before opening the 2025 season against LSU on Aug. 30 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Memorial Stadium.
2025 Preseason All-ACC Football Team
Offense
QB: Cade Klubnik, Clemson (148)
RB: Isaac Brown, Louisville (99)
RB: Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech (85)
WR: Antonio Williams, Clemson (143)
WR: Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson (66)
WR: Chris Bell, Louisville (51)
TE: Justin Joly, NC State (92)
AP: Desmond Reid, Pitt (73)
OT: Francis Mauigoa, Miami (99)
OT: Blake Miller, Clemson (99)
OG: Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech (93)
OG: Walker Parks, Clemson (51)
C: Ryan Linthicum, Clemson (44)
Defense
DE: T.J. Parker, Clemson (152)
DE: Rueben Bain, Jr., Miami (92)
DT: Peter Woods, Clemson (142)
DT: Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State (56)
LB: Kyle Louis, Pitt (98)
LB: Wade Woodaz, Clemson (77)
LB: Sammy Brown, Clemson (76)
CB: Avieon Terrell, Clemson (129)
CB: Chandler Rivers, Duke (106)
S: Isaiah Nwokobia, SMU (86)
S: Terry Moore, Duke (81)
Specialists
PK: Collin Rogers, SMU (67)
P: Jack Stonehouse, Syracuse (70)
SP: Desmond Reid, Pitt (68)
2025 ACC Preseason Player of the Year
1. Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson (146)
2. Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech (9)
3. Kevin Jennings, QB, SMU (5)
T4. Carson Beck, QB, Miami (4)
T4. Kyron Drones, QB, Virginia Tech (4)
6. Isaac Brown, RB, Louisville (3)
T7. Quintayvious Hutchins, DE, Boston College (2)
T7. CJ Bailey, QB, NC State (2)
T7. Eli Holstein, QB, Pitt (2)
T7. Kyle Louis, LB, Pitt (2)
T7. Desmond Reid, RB, Pitt (2)
T12. Lewis Bond, WR, Boston College (1)
T12. Jamal Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech (1)
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football predictions 2025: Cade Klubnik big ACC POTY favorite
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