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When the New York Jets called Cade Klubnik’s name at No. 110 overall, his biggest cheerleader was right by his side. Macey Matthews, his high school sweetheart and now fiancée, took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute, celebrating the culmination of a lifelong dream.

After Klubnik got drafted, his girlfriend shared a post on Instagram to celebrate the moment. She posted a picture of herself hugging him while she was holding a New York Jets cap. In the post, she showed how proud she was of his achievement and supported him on this big day in his career.

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“My best friend’s dream came true this weekend!!! So proud of you and so excited for the journey God has set out 💚 Go Jets!,” Macey Matthews said on an IG post.

Macey Matthews was Cade Klubnik’s longtime girlfriend and now fiancée, and she supported him from the very beginning. They met while they were in school in Austin, Texas, and their relationship started when they were in high school. She was a cheerleader at Westlake High School, and they stayed together for several years as high school sweethearts.

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She was also a college student studying marketing and attended Clemson University around the same time as Klubnik. This is a major moment for both of them, as Klubnik entered the draft after a difficult 2025 season at Clemson. He was once considered a top Heisman candidate, but their six losses affected his production too. He recorded 16 touchdowns and six interceptions while throwing for 2,943 passing yards, which is less than his last year’s 3,639 yards production.

Despite the tough final season, Klubnik’s overall college career was solid. He left Clemson having thrown for over 10,000 yards and set a school record with 916 completions, placing him third in program history for passing yards behind legends like Tajh Boyd and Deshaun Watson. He also proved to be a dual-threat, adding 878 rushing yards across his 40 starts.

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Matthews has always been a strong support for Cade Klubnik. She has encouraged him on game days and stood by him during difficult moments in his career. She supported him when he faced injuries, including an ankle injury that made him miss one game. He also went through a concussion and later dealt with a thumb injury, and she stayed by his side through all of it.

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Her support is not only during football games but also in his personal life, showing that she has been with him through many ups and downs.

Just a few days after he played his final game as a Clemson Tiger, Klubnik shared a big personal moment. He announced his engagement to Macey Matthews on his Instagram story. He celebrated by showing a ring and popping champagne, marking a favourable moment in their relationship and his life. However, she is not the only one supporting Cade Klubnik.

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Cade Klubnik’s experience gets a major boost from the Jets

The New York Jets made a bold move by trading up in the fourth round with the Cincinnati Bengals to pick Klubnik. This decision quickly creates debate because many people think the Jets give up extra draft picks for a player they could have selected later.

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Fans and analysts also question the move because Klubnik is seen as a young quarterback who still needs time to develop. But general manager Darren Mougey believes Klubnik is worth the move and trusts that he can become a strong player in the future.

“I felt really good about Cade,” Mougey said. “We had good grades on Cade going into this year. He was playing hurt much of the year (but he had a great combine interview, which sparked us to get down to Clemson to spend more time with him. It was great exposure being on campus with him, talking ball.”

The Jets already had a packed QB room with players like Geno Smith, Bailey Zappe, and Brady Cook. Even with this mix of quarterbacks already on the team, Cade Klubnik still stands out to the Jets as a possible future player. They see him as someone who may not start right away, but who has the tools and potential to grow into an important quarterback later. Even head coach Aaron Glenn supported Mougey.

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“Just the experience that he has, as many games as he won in high school and as many games as he won in college,” Glenn said. “And he still has a ways to go to get to where he needs to be.”

Now, let’s wait and see if all these expectations come true or not in the coming seasons.

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Papiya Chatterjee

2,776 Articles

Papiya Chatterjee is a Senior College Football Writer at EssentiallySports, working on the site’s Trends Desk. She has covered two action-packed seasons and played a central role in ES Behind the Scenes analysis, spotlighting the game’s biggest stars. During the draft, her reporting on the surprising Know more

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Himanga Mahanta

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