Clemson stars land on Maxwell Award preseason watch list

CLEMSON, S.C. — The Maxwell Preseason Award watch list was released on last week and two Clemson stars appeared on the list. Senior quarterback Cade Klubnik and junior wide receiver Antonio Williams were two of 80 players named on the watch list.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937. It is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.

The Maxwell Award watch list will once again incorporate a broad spectrum of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and conferences from coast to coast, led by 2 returning semifinalists, Cade Klubnik – Clemson and Diego Pavia – Vanderbilt. The full list consists of 80 players, with Penn State leading the way with 3 candidates and an additional 16 schools having two players represented. The SEC and ACC boast 17 candidates, followed by the Big12 (15) and Big10 (14).

Ashton Jeanty, from Boise State University, was the 2024 Maxwell Award winner and was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 1st round of the NFL draft.

Klubnik is coming off of his best season at the college level. He threw for 3,639 passing yards, 43(36 passing) total touchdowns and completed 63.4% passes. He also help lead the Tigers to their first ACC title since 2022 and their first college football playoffs appearance since 2020. The senior quarterback was also named a preseason All-American.

Williams had a breakout season as a sophomore for the Tigers. He led them in receiving yards (904), receptions(75) and touchdown receptions(11) last season.

Both players were also two of nine total players to be named preseason all-ACC. The two players were also part of the 17 players listed on the Maxwell Award watch list for the ACC. The ACC’s 17 selections tied the SEC for the conference with the most selections on the list.

The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts being members of our selection committee. Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is generally recognized as the most complete preseason magazine.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 11, 2025, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 25, 2025. The winner of the 89th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 11, 2025. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday March 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.