Cade Klubnik had one of the most successful careers in Texas high school football. He won three straight state championships as a quarterback for the Westlake Chaparrals. In his high school career, he threw for 7,426 yards with 86 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. During his time as the starting QB, Westlake was in the top 5 in the nation in all the top polls. As a senior, he was named the All-American Bowl Player of the Year, the Max Prep Player of the Year, and the Gatorade Player of the Year for Texas.
Klubnik picked Dabo Swinney and the Clemon Tigers for college. As a freshman, he took over the starting quarterback job from an accomplished DJ Uiagalelei. However, his time as a starting quarterback has seen some ups and downs, and Clemson has taken a step back from its perch as one of the top teams in College football. Klubnik played decently in 2023, but he had too many uncharacteristic turnovers, struggled to convert on third downs, and struggled late in close games. However, the talent was obvious, his leadership is as good as it gets, and hopes were still high for Klubnik heading into his junior season.
In 2024, Klubnik got a rough start against the then #1 Georgia Bulldogs. However, since then, Klubnik and the Clemson Tigers have been on fire, and they look like a good bet to make the College Football Playoffs.
Klubnik has thrown for 3 or more touchdowns while running for one or more touchdowns in each of the last three games, leading Clemson to a 3-1 record and a top 20 ranking. On the season, he has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns with just 2 interceptions. He is back to the highly efficient. QB that he was at Westlake. He’s been the clutch on third down, and he has led one of the best offenses in college football in the past few weeks.
The schedule is looking pretty good for Clemson. They will be sizeable favorites in their remaining regular-season games and have a strong chance to play in the ACC Championship. If Clemson runs the table, they’ll likely be in the College Football Playoffs with a top-five seed. If they drop a second game this season, they’ll still have a chance to make the playoffs. We would predict them to likely finish at 10-2 and get in as an 11-12 seed in the College Football Playoff, but we would not be surprised to see them finish with just the one loss to Georgia and get into the top 4 to 5 in the rankings.
If Clemson keeps winning, and Klubnik keeps putting up numbers, look for him to start to emerge as a possible Heisman Trophy finalist candidate. The NFL draft stock for Klubnik should also rise. If he were to leave after this season, he is currently projected as a 4th or 5th-round pick. Projected ahead of him at QB are 4 former Texas high school football quarterbacks: Jalen Milroe, Quinn Ewers, Garrett Nussmeier, and Connor Weigman. Klubnik does have a year of eligibility left and could opt to stay at Clemson for his senior season.
