Cade Klubnik returns as Clemson’s biggest strength this year. He will be part of a team that’s also in contention to win the National Championship. Now, imagine the terror that ran in the Clemson community when news broke that Klubnik was injured in a car accident. This Clemson team losing the star quarterback painted an extremely grim picture. But those rumors have been debunked, and Klubnik is coming clear on the incident.

On TigerNet.com, a user shared that his brother, a first responder, had alerted him about an accident on campus, and that “Kade Klubnik” was a victim. According to the account, the victim’s car was T-boned, with the responders not being able to “move his arm or shoulder.” The QB losing his most crucial weapon, and himself being unavailable for his last year was spelling pure misfortune for Dabo Swinney. However, the QB’s mom, Kim Klubnik, confirmed that he wasn’t. “Cade is fine!” she told CBS Sports. Klubnik himself addressed the incident recently.

He said that his mother had called him crying when the news broke, and asked if he was okay. “I don’t know who it was, but man, just, shame on them for the pain that they had to put people that I love through,” Klubnik asserted. “It was a messed up joke,” he added. TigerNet.com deleted the post after it was found that the account was a troll. Cade’s mom told CBS Sports about the panic she felt. “My heart has not stopped racing since someone shared the story with me. How can someone be so cruel?”

Social media occasionally reveals its darker side. There was the huge sports betting fiasco that John Mateer barely escaped. Arch Manning also became a victim of it. Coincidentally, Klubnik’s opponent QB from Baton Rouge, Garrett Nussmeier, was also the target of a fake injury rumor. The LSU star was said to be dealing with a torn ACL. Both QBs going down means utter disaster for their teams. But rest assured, both will be playing this Saturday, in what is going to be a must-win for either side.

Klubnik returns this year as a potential Heisman candidate and even a No. 1 pick in the draft. Him going down would mean all of his 3,639 yard-potential would go up in the air. Expected to be in an even better form this season after his improvement last year, Klubnik is Swinney’s crown jewel going into the season. The HC has seen him at his lowest and been with him through his best days. And that’s why he’s confident Klubnik and Co. will bring a National Championship to Death Valley this time.

Dabo Swinney is positive that Cade Klubnik and Co. have what winning a Natty needs

Dabo Swinney is already a two-time Natty-winning HC. Two decades of elite football have raised the standards of the program so high that everyone expects nothing but that title. He seemed to side with the fans for this year’s outlook. Swinney said in an August 27 episode of the Cover 3 Podcast, “I definitely think you can tell when, you know, that you’ve got a team that’s got a chance. … I think this team has the tangibles and the intangibles,” he said. Entering as No. 4 in the preseason and with an elite Cade Klubnik, Clemson fans should have a lot to be excited for this season.

“Usually great teams have a great quarterback. We got a great quarterback,” Swinney added. Klubnik was 5-10 and 4 TDs in the latest scrimmage at Death Valley, the HC told the press after practice. Now in his 3 year as QB1, Klubnik will enter the season knowing what it takes to be at that position. 2025 is going to be a defining year for him and Clemson. And who knows, by the end of it, the Tigers will have their first Heisman Trophy winner.

Dabo Swinney has rarely slipped when it comes to the job. When he did, everyone noticed and talked about the blow. Losing Cade Klubnik would mean guaranteed failure for Clemson and Swinney, that too when they’re this close to the opener. The QB is Clemson’s biggest power right now, and Swinney can’t afford to lose him.