National analysts disagree on Cade Klubnik's No. 1 spot among QBs

Cade Klubnik enters the 2025 season with plenty of expectations.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Saturday, April 12 2025

Cade Klubnik added another group of rankings as the No. 1 QB in college football this season, although not unanimous among CBS Sports analysts recently.

CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli is one of the latest and published his ranking on the site this week.

"I was a certified Cade Klubnik skeptic (colloquially known as a hater) heading into 2024, and the first game of the season against Georgia did little to sway me," Fornelli said. "But then a funny thing happened: the schedule got much easier, and Klubnik performed much better. When I look around, there is no QB who matches Klubnik's combination of experience, talent, production and situation. Clemson won the ACC last season and likely to do so again in 2025. Should that happen, Klubnik's name will be in the Heisman conversation all year."

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Penn State's Drew Allar and Texas' Arch Manning are next up, followed by Miami's Carson Beck and opener-opponent LSU's Garrett Nussmeier.

"There are two things about Nussmeier I love," Fornelli said. "The first is his arm. It's an absolute cannon, and I cannot stress enough how important arm strength is if you want to be an elite QB. (Yes, he needs to learn how to harness it better. He also has to make better decisions, but find me the college QB who doesn't.) Second, I love his pocket presence. He's great at manipulating the pocket to avoid sacks and keep plays alive. LSU has had a lot of problems the last two seasons, but few of them have been on the offensive side of the ball. I am still a Nuss Believer."

Fornelli is joined in the Klubnik ranking by fellow CBS-sponsored Cover 3 Podcast panelists Danny Kanell and Chip Patterson, but there was one fairly substantial disagreement.

Bud Elliott lists Florida's DJ Lagway on top, followed by Nussmeier, Allar and Baylor's Sawyer Robertson ahead of Klubnik at No. 5.

Of that quartet, Klubnik ranked third in QB rating last season (148.24) and 26th overall, trailing Allar (153.47; 13th overall) and Robertson (153.09; 14th) and ahead of Nussmeier (142.68; 42nd). In 14 games, Klubnik totaled the third-most passing touchdowns in college football (36) and is the top returner there overall. He also had the fewest interceptions of that particular grouping (6).

Only one, Patterson, had new top-rated transfer portal QB Nico Iamaleava in the Top 10 (7th). Iamaleava entered the transfer portal before the Tennessee spring game this weekend, where reportedly he was calling for a substantial raise in NIL contract money.