Cade Klubnik’s Clemson Heir Reveals His Message During Elite 11 Finals After Heisman Voter’s Verdict on QB1

Cade Klubnik has rightfully emerged as the face of Clemson during his time at Death Valley. After a problematic season in 2023, no one has redeemed themselves better than the QB in 2024. But Dabo Swinney’s most important player is not just working on improving his already stellar stock. He’s also taking on a leadership role, hoping to keep the next starters primed to take over after him. His likely successor looks up to him for that coveted job.

Replacing someone who tallied 3,639 yards, 36 TDs, and only 6 interceptions is going to be a mighty task for Swinney. But the Tigers’ 2026 QB commit, Tait Reynolds, is keen on matching up to Klubnik’s legacy someday. He is currently in Los Angeles for the Elite 11 finals, which sees some of the best young QBs display their skills. Reynold’s team is getting quite the attention because Klubnik himself is mentoring him. The future Clemson QB will still have a long way to go to start for the Tigers. But, he is making the most of Klubnik’s last few months in college football, soaking up all he can from the elite QB.

He has formed a great relationship with Klubnik and spoke about it with TigerNet. This is Klubnik’s second year as a counselor at Elite 11, so he’s taking the leadership duties outside of Death Valley, too. “He’s super supportive and super awesome… You ask a question, and he’ll go above and beyond to make it so you understand it… He told me I did a good job and everything, and how proud he was of me.” TigerNet also reports that scouts were “bewildered” at his work ethic. When Klubnik graced the event as a prospect, he won the MVP. Though Texas’ Dia Bell has taken that honor this year, Reynolds and his ‘manchild’ nickname created a lot of buzz.

Reynolds is given that nickname by Bootleg Football Podcast‘s Brett Kollerman because of how old he looks for his age. “He looks like he could play Ohio State tomorrow,” Kollerman wrote. Reynolds went 17 of 20 passes, finishing as one of the top in the accuracy drills. The last time a Clemson prospect was so high up in talks at the Elite 11 was Cade Klubnik. From his performance at Reynolds, with his predecessor watching him, it looks like he might very well turn out to be Klubnik’s prodigy. “It was really cool to learn from him,” Reynolds told TigerNet.

Reynolds is the Arizona Cardinals‘ 2024 Offensive Player of the Year (prep) and is a dual-threat quarterback, like Klubnik. Last season, he rushed for a whopping 1400 yards and scored 19 TDs, while also tallying 2,238 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. And, Reynolds is also an elite baseball player. It looks like both Reynolds and Klubnik are going to come out at the top of their respective arenas, which means Clemson, at the moment, is in good hands.

David Pollack is high on Cade Klubnik for the Heisman

The current favorites to win the Heisman are Garrett Nussmeier and Arch Manning. Both of them are preparing to stun college football fans with their brilliance. And by the looks of it, they might do just that. But Klubnik, the one often overshadowed by these two names, is among ACC’s best quarterbacks. And he is also part of the Heisman conversation, because not many QBs can show a turnaround like that, within just a year.. Klubnik’s pure class act from 2024 shows how developed and capable he is of winning that trophy.

In a June 17 episode of See Ball Get Ball, David Pollack was high on the Clemson QB, being among the top contenders for the Heisman. “I don’t see how he’s not there. I think Cade Klubnik will be in the Heisman conversation next year. That’s how good I think he is,” he said. When the time comes, it looks like the Clemson QB will have a vote from Pollack. Klubnik’s 36 TDs are the second-highest ever for a single season in program history. He created a great rhythm with OC Garrett Riley, the result of which we saw in his show of firepower from last season.

Dabo Swinney and fans will hope that Cade Klubnik closes his Clemson chapter on an extremely high note. The sky’s the limit for the QB this season, based on what he pulled off last year. While he readies to bow out, he’s doing his bit to keep the Clemson legacy running with Tait Reynolds on the board.