Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik has had an outstanding season in 2024, leading the Tigers back to an ACC title and College Football Playoff appearance. But should his name be in the discussion for the Heisman Trophy?
The four finalists for the award were announced on Monday afternoon. Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and Miami quarterback Cam Ward will travel to New York City for ESPN’s presentation of college football’s most prestigious award at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday night.
When looking back over Klubnik’s season, his stats compare very well to that of Gabriel. Both players have led their teams to conference championships while throwing for over 3,700 yards and limiting turnovers.
In my opinion, Klubnik’s season has been a bit off of the national radar, due to the lack of a top-5 team in the ACC this season, as well as a lack of marquee conference games. Unfortunately for Klubnik, the ACC’s top three teams in 2024 (SMU, Clemson, and Miami) never matched up with each other in the regular season. When looking back at previous Heisman winners, their “Heisman moment” tends to happen in a critical game against another highly-ranked conference foe.
Take Johnny Manziel’s 2012 performance in Tuscaloosa to knock off Alabama, Lamar Jackson running wild against No. 2 Florida State back in 2016, or even as far back as Cam Newton’s “Cam-back” against Alabama in 2010.
Here’s a look at Klubnik compared against the two quarterbacks that will make the trip to New York.
Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
Statistics:
282-443 (63.6 completion %), 3,303 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, 5 interceptions
106 carries, 458 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns
“Heisman moment”: 260-yard, 4-touchdown performance to upset then-No. 8 SMU in the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 7
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon
Statistics:
297-406 (73.2 completion %), 3,558 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 6 interceptions
63 carries, 192 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns
“Heisman moment”: 341-yard, 2-touchdown performance to defeat then-No. 2 Ohio State 32-31 on Oct. 12
Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Statistics:
293-435 (67.3 completion %), 4,123 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, 7 interceptions
58 carries, 196 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns
“Heisman moment”: 437-yard, 2-touchdown performance to lead then-No. 8 Miami back from a 35-10 deficit to defeat Cal 39-38 on Oct. 5
Final Decision
In the end, while I believe that Klubnik absolutely has a case to be a Heisman finalist, he was edged out by Gabriel and Ward for different reasons. Gabriel’s case comes down to leading the unanimous No. 1 team in the country to an undefeated season, along with a clutch performance against highly-ranked Ohio State. For Ward, he has the statistical edge (especially on passing yards), in addition to saving multiple games for the Hurricanes with late-game comebacks.
Looking Ahead
With conference championship week in the rearview mirror, Klubnik and the Tigers will look to upset another highly-ranked team from Texas in a postseason game. Clemson and the Texas Longhorns will battle in the first round of the College Football Playoff in Austin, TX on Saturday, December 21st at 4:00 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on TNT.
