Clemson managed to get over its 2023 drop of a single-digit finish and got back to winning ways in 2024. A crucial unit of that resurgence was Cade Klubnik. Recruited as the top QB of his class, he missed making his mark in his first two seasons. When it comes to the best performance cleanups in college football, Klubnik tops the list. Returning as the Tigers’ QB1 for one last time, the development in him is clear as day. That came about with some diligent work and dedication. He’s silenced his critics, acknowledging what went wrong and throwing himself into the pursuit of making them right.

The Cade Klubnik who lined up on the field in 2023 was a different man. Unsteady, inconsistent, and prone to costly mistakes. Poor decision making, making late reads, and getting out of the pocket too early–Klubnik was way off of his potential that year. But in 2024, Klubnik looked every bit the five-star QB he was once projected to be. In 2023, he fell out of Pro Football Focus’ top 100 passers. Next year, he finished as the 5 best in that list. When it came to passing TDs, he trailed behind only Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. Those numbers alone prove that Klubnik has worked relentlessly to be where he is today.

On3’s Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman claimed that Klubnik was able to improve because of not just field experience, but also studying where he went wrong. Staples shared a clip of a chat with Klubnik in a June 3 episode of Andy & Ari. The host asked him about his improvement in the run game, to which Klubnik replied, “I think just being able to get through my reads faster, honestly, just being in the system another year, you know. It’s not a guessing game… escaping when I need to and not whenever, you know, not run from ghosts is kind of a term that we say is when I’m sitting back in their pocket and you know, I’ve got time back there, and sometimes I’ll just run too early and I got a great pocket.”

“Just knowing scenarios, you know, second and 10, don’t have to go throw a 15 yard out route, you know, go get six, seven, eight yards and get ourselves in a good spot for third down. Just putting drives together, keeping them alive.” Staples then lauded the QB for his mentality. “[He is someone] who understands the assignment, and he’s being pretty critical of his prior self. Because he’s basically saying, ‘I didn’t quite understand these situations before and now I am very situationally aware.’” This improvement has Joel Klatt ranking Cade Klubnik as No. 1 college QB heading into the 2025 season. Klatt also pointed out Klubnik’s newfound ability to extend plays on the ground and deliver throws with an average air-yardage of 20 yards.

The contrast in Klubnik’s performance is striking. In 2023, he was often cited as a reason for Clemson’s fall, finishing with 19 TDs and 9 interceptions. Klubnik often struggled to make big plays then. Last season, the QB almost made double the touchdowns (36) and cut down the INTs to 6. Now, Klubnik stands as one of Clemson’s best players in history. And, analysts say Klubnik can easily go as a top pick in the draft. For 2025, Klubnik hopes to leave a lasting mark because he still thinks he’s a work in progress.

Cade Klubnik sends powerful message to Dabo Swinney and Clemson

“I never had any doubt with Cade,” Dabo Swinney said last year. After 2023, multiple programs had approached Klubnik if he wanted a change of environment. He refused and showed everyone why. After a brilliant season last year, Klubnik is confident that Swinney can rely on more development from him. “I’m kind of the epitome of, you know, the word ‘development,’” he said. “When I’m coming out of high school, I’m wanting to go win, go to a great culture. But overall, I want to leave that school better than when I got there,” Klubnik added further.

“I wasn’t very good my sophomore year, but I just stuck with it. And what Clemson’s done with me is develop me. They’ve got me better. So, like, if I’m a quarterback and I want to go get better, like Clemson’s the place to do it. They’re known for making players better. And I feel like I’m the epitome of that.” Klubnik stressed once again. Often, prospects fall from grace in their debut seasons, but not many can come back the way Klubnik did in his junior year.

The fire in Klubnik’s heart is still there. “Still not where I want to be, but I’m hoping to, you know, take another step,” he said. The ceiling is yet to be met for the Clemson QB. But we know one thing for sure: Cade Klubnik is sure to display a more charismatic performance this year, before he goes pro.