Paul Finebaum praises Dabo Swinney, says Cade Klubnik is better QB than LSU's Nussmeier
ESPN's Paul Finebaum has taken plenty of shots at Dabo Swinney through the years, but the veteran college football commentator continued with his apparent about-face on the Clemson coach Friday on "Get Up."
Finebaum joined host Mike Greenberg and studio panelists Harry Douglass, Mike Tannenbaum and Damien Woody to discuss some of the top storylines entering the 2025 college football season.
In one segment, Greenberg replayed Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik's comments from ACC Kickoff in which the former 5-star recruit from Austin, Texas, recalled how Swinney had stuck with him after a shaky 2023 season that included four losses.
"After my sophomore year, when everybody kind of told me I sucked and wasn't very good, a lot of people wanted me out of Clemson," Klubnik said Thursday. "Coach Swinney pulled me into his office and told me, 'Cade, I believe in you and let's go to work.' ... When he could have gone and done what a lot of other coaches would do, but didn't and pulled me in tight and said I believe in you. I'll never forget that moment."
Finebaum praised Swinney for sticking with Klubnik and said that the Clemson coach had gradually "transformed" with where the game is now -- and that it might be enough fuel to help a Tigers return to the national championship game this season.
"Greeny, I don't think I need to remind you how many times I've been here talking about how Dabo's dynasty is done -- oh, maybe five or six. But what Dabo Swinney has done, he has transformed with where we are in college football. And at the core, he is a player's coach. His players love him, and that moment that we heard yesterday in Charlotte was significant, and it may be the fuel that helps Clemson come back from where they have been to possibly playing for a national championship. And that's the reason (for) the coach-player relationship, and Dabo has it with many others, as well."
Finebaum said last week that Swinney had returned Clemson to national title contender status and added: "I think this is his best team since the 2019 title run."
What a difference a year makes.
Finebaum says Cade Klubnik is better QB than LSU's Garrett Nussmeier
In a round of "Fact or Fiction" during Friday's episode of Get Up, Greenberg asked Finebaum whether it was a fact that Klubnik was a better quarterback than Nussmeier.
Finebaum's answer:
"That's fact, and we're splitting hairs here because these are the two best quarterbacks in the country. Nussmeier is the son of a coach. He is well-prepared, but I like Klubnik better in the clutch. I saw Nussmeier make too many mistakes under pressure, tried to do way too much."
Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns to only six interceptions in 14 games last season while leading Clemson to 10 wins, an ACC championship, and the program's first College Football Playoff appearance since 2020.
Nussmeier threw for more yards (4,052) than Klubnik a year ago and helped lead LSU to six straight wins and a No. 8 ranking after their season-opening loss to USC. But he had costly turnovers in losses to Texas A&M and Alabama as part of a three-game losing streak that dropped Brian Kelly's team from playoff contention. LSU finished 9-4 after a win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl.
Clemson and LSU will open the season at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ABC.
Clemson football schedule 2025
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