Cade Klubnik is entering his third season as Clemson‘s starting quarterback as the No. 4 Tigers look to reestablish themselves as a legitimate national championship contender in 2025. Beyond that, though, Klubnik is drawing plenty of early first-round NFL Draft buzz from draft prognosticators. But, for NFL evaluators like ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., the 21-year-old […]
Cade Klubnik is entering his third season as Clemson‘s starting quarterback as the No. 4 Tigers look to reestablish themselves as a legitimate national championship contender in 2025. Beyond that, though, Klubnik is drawing plenty of early first-round NFL Draft buzz from draft prognosticators.
But, for NFL evaluators like ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., the 21-year-old Clemson senior QB still has plenty to prove this upcoming season if Klubnik is going to cement his status as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft next April.
“He has 28 cstarts and he’s an athlete. The RPOs; he can run, he can beat a defense with his legs. Forty-three touchdowns he accounted for last year, only six picks. Seven of those were rushing touchdowns,” Kiper Jr. said of Klubnik on Thursday’s First Take on ESPN. “He needs to show he can make those NFL throws, power the ball down the field as a collegiate quarterback. He’s a heck of a leader. He’s got Antonio Williams as a go-to wide receiver to get the ball to.”
Klubnik is the ACC’s top-returning passer after finishing third in the conference last season with a career-best 3,639 yards and 36 touchdwons to just six interceptions through the air. Klubnik also flashed some dual-threat potential with 463 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground in 2024.
Of course, there are other draftniks who believe Klubnik has already established himself as the most “solidified” QB in college football this upcoming season.
Field Yates: Cade Klubnik emerging as college football’s most ‘solidified’ quarterback
ESPN’s Field Yates joined Get Up on Wednesday to dish on college quarterbacks heading into the 2025 season. He believes Cade Klubnik is the most “solidified” signal-caller in the sport this season.
With a keen eye on the 2026 NFL Draft, the ESPN NFL analyst waxed poetic about the Clemson star, believing he’s only scratching the surface of his potential: “It’s Cade Klubnik from Clemson.”
“He’s got over 1,000 career passing attempts. Last year he had a remarkable season — 43 total touchdowns — and he’s already in the top five for most major passing categories at Clemson,” Yates said of Klubnik. “He completed just under 64% of his passes last year, but I think he’s a more accurate thrower than that number suggests.
“On top of that, he’s the real deal athletically. Klubnik rushed for nearly 500 yards last season, and keep in mind, in college football, quarterbacks lose rushing yards for sacks. Without that, he could’ve been close to 600,” Yates continued. “He’s a very good leader, a very good processor. They’ve got a big test this weekend against LSU, but I expect them to handle business in what should be a great top-10 matchup to kick off a potentially huge season for a loaded Clemson roster.”
— On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this report.
Category: Football
