The Clemson Tigers are no strangers to early-round quarterback conversations. Deshaun Watson put them on the map, and Trevor Lawrence made Death Valley home on his three-year march to the No. 1 overall pick. Top recruit DJ Uiagalelei fell short of expectations, but Cade Klubnik offers the program a path back to championship contention.
Clemson is set to compete, both due to an elite roster and one of the sport’s most talented quarterbacks. Destined for the College Football Playoff, Klubnik will have numerous chances to prove himself, even with a relatively soft ACC schedule.
Klubnik will enter the season — and a prime-time fight with the LSU Tigers — as a consensus first-round pick and a Heisman contender. Yet, there’s still work to do to solidify his stock, especially in a strong class of quarterbacks.
Why Klubnik can be a franchise quarterback
It would be hyperbolic to suggest Klubnik has the best tools in the class. He’s neither the biggest nor strongest at 6’2″, 210 pounds, and while he’s an above-average athlete, Klubnik lacks the top-end athleticism that’s taking over the sport. With that said, his arm strength is among his best traits, and it’s certainly live enough to find success in the NFL.
Klubnik displays a nuanced ability to layer throws to the intermediate and vertical parts of the field. His accuracy stands out downfield, where he is consistently able to drop passes in the bucket to the boundary.
Perhaps most importantly, Klubnik is a creative passer who retains his arm talent while rolling left and right. He can manipulate his arm angle and make off-platform throws; he’s also a strong in-pocket athlete.
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Within structure, Klubnik seems to prefer high-low reads, although he’s flashed the ability to go through full-field progressions, and he can routinely find targets late in the play against zone. His feel for timing is strong in the quick game, too.
His ability to limit turnovers without sacrificing upside makes his profile enticing. With playoff pedigree, good athleticism, and a decent tendency to avoid sacks, there’s a lot to like en route to Round 1.
Klubnik’s floor might be lower than the stats suggest
Projecting the floor of a passing prospect can be a fruitless endeavor. Certainly, some prospects offer more risk and worse tools, but sifting through different levels of bad quarterbacking doesn’t matter much.
However, two stats that can act as a proxy for one’s floor are turnover-worthy play percentage and pressure-to-sack rate. A quarterback who struggles to avoid sacks is likely to fall behind the sticks frequently when the margins get smaller at the next level. Passers prone to bad decisions and erratic throws don’t always grow out of those flaws.
Per Pro Football Focus, Klubnik posted a 2.3% turnover-worthy play rate in 2024 and was sacked on 15% of his pressures. Those marks are good for 19th- and 32nd-best, respectively, among 94 qualified passers. It’s an encouraging statistical profile, but Klubnik’s flaws might be exacerbated at the next level.
Despite his ability to avoid sacks, Klubnik’s pocket movements can turn messy. As the margins get slimmer, his athleticism won’t be quite as successful when bailing him out. Developing in the pocket will be important in 2025, allowing him to step up and continue operating within structure.
Outside of structure, Klubnik’s tools allow him to make plays, but there’s a real drop-off in decision-making. He can try to do too much and attempt unnecessarily risky passes in the name of creation. If that’s a symptom of inconsistent processing, rather than momentary blips on the decision-making radar, things could get ugly.
Klubnik’s NFL projection
In his platform year, Klubnik will have to shed skepticism about his non-elite tools. He’s a safe bet to go in Round 1, and the door is still open for him to be the first-overall pick with a great season.
Ultimately, there is still a surplus of physical tools in his profile. He is strong within structure, creative and nuanced as a passer, and can make plays when things break down. Despite the minor flaws in his game, Klubnik currently looks like an above-average quarterback. I feel good about his ability to start as a rookie and operate with a ceiling similar to the C.J. Stroud/Jordan Love crop of quarterbacks.
Clemson’s star under center will enter the year as my QB2, behind only Texas phenom Arch Manning. With high-level contests against LSU, SMU, and South Carolina before the College Football Playoff, there will be plenty of opportunities for Klubnik to continue improving his stock.
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