Cade Klubnik, a junior, has led the Tigers to victories in two ACC title games and a College Football Playoff appearance.
At a time when many successful underclassmen college football players are declaring for the NFL Draft, Clemson junior quarterback Cade Klubnik will stick around for another season.
Klubnik led the No. 16 Tigers (10–4) to the ACC championship and College Football Playoff (CFP) this season. He completed 63.4 percent of his passes for
3,636 yards and 36 touchdowns versus six interceptions. Klubnik was also a threat on the ground with 463 yards rushing and seven touchdowns on 119 carries.
Overall, Klubnik has 7,180 yards passing and 57 touchdowns in 37 career games. In three seasons, Klubnik has led the Tigers to victories in two ACC title games, 2022 and 2024.
“He’s just a competitor,” Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney
told reporters after a season-ending loss to Texas on Dec. 14. “That kid, he’s one of the guys that spoke up in there and just talked about—he said this is the most fun he’s ever had playing football. This team, this year. Most fun he’s ever had. Pretty strong statement.”
Klubnik threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns in the
38–24 loss to the No. 3 Longhorns (12–2) during the CFP quarterfinal game in Austin, Texas. Swinney was quick to point out that not many quarterbacks fared well against the Longhorns’ defense. Texas allows
13.3 points per game—second-best in the nation—and allows 261.1 yards passing per game.
“Not many people that’s got many yards on that group,” Swinney said. “They’re really good and, again, [we] missed a few opportunities to punch it in right there on fourth and one. We think we had it if we stayed outside and kind of cut in, but we just didn’t get it done.”
Swinney also talked up Klubnik’s leadership in a program that’s won
two national titles since 2015 under the veteran coach. Despite the success in the 2020s, Clemson hadn’t made the four-team playoff in the previous three seasons, but the Tigers broke through in the first year of the 12-team playoff.
“Great young man, he’s just grown into this amazing leader of a really close group,” Swinney said. “You’re just never out of it with him. He’ll always give you a chance. It’s disappointing—certainly we wanted to win the game. He didn’t do anything to take away from the type of season he’s had this year. It’s been outstanding, just an amazing year, and he’ll build on it.”
As one of the nation’s top passers, Klubnik could lead the Tigers further in 2025, and he could do something neither of his bigger-name predecessors, Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, has done—win the Heisman Trophy.
