Heading into the 2021 season, Clemson thought it had its next great quarterback.
Then-freshman DJ Uiagelelei impressed in limited time backing up Trevor Lawrence in 2020. He was the talk of the town entering into his sophomore campaign, with many pinning the Tigers’ title aspirations on the shoulders of the former five-star recruit.
Then, something happened: Uiagelelei struggled. He threw ten interceptions to just nine touchdowns in his second year at Memorial Stadium and Clemson faltered, losing three games en route to a third-place finish in the ACC Atlantic.
For all his wobbles, head coach Dabo Swinney has kept faith in Uiagelelei. The 21-year old retained his starting spot for the 2022 campaign.
But there’s pressure on him to succeed. And if those foibles stick, Clemson has another talented option waiting in the wings in five-star freshman Cade Klubnik.
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So, who is Klubnik? And how far is the Tigers’ phenom from taking the reins of Swinney’s offense? The Sporting News has you covered.
Who is Cade Klubnik?
Cade Klubnik is a pro style quarterback heading into his first season at Clemson. Klubnik was the crown jewel of Swinney’s 2022 recruiting class, earning No. 1 quarterback status, per 247Sports.
Blessed with delicate touch and pinpoint precision, Klubnik looks to be a star in the making. He set the record book alight at high school football powerhouse Westlake, throwing 86 touchdowns to just 7 interceptions in three varsity seasons. He added another 29 TDs on the ground, cementing his status as one of the school’s greatest ever products.
Klubnik’s mailbox was littered with offers from school’s promising he would be their next big thing. But he always had his sights set for Swinney and the Tigers, committing to the program less than a week after receiving an offer.
Since enrolling at Clemson, Klubnik has kept his head down.
“I haven’t done anything,” Klubnik told QB Summit founder Jordan Palmer back in March. “That’s how I showed up, in a very humbling way. I haven’t done anything. And I got to go prove it. Or not necessarily prove it, but go work for it.”
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Palmer’s calm approach, coupled with his sizable arm talent, clearly has made an impression on Swinney. When asked about his plans at the quarterback position throughout the season, Swinney made it clear that Klubnik will see the field plenty:
DJ is the starter and he’s earned that. If that changes, I guess everybody will know it,. But our plan is for DJ to have an amazing season and for Cade to get as much PT (playing time) as possible, because he brings some special gifts to the table. That will all be game by game.
Swinney added that he’s already beginning to notice the development in Klubnik’s game. His processing speed is getting that much better. Couple that with Klubnik’s arm talent, and the Tigers could have a real force on their hands.
“The game has slowed down for him,” Swinney said, according to the Charlotte Observer. “… He’s a problem in the pocket because he’s really, really fast,” Swinney said. “It’s just awesome, because he can really create. It’s good for Clemson. It’s also good for our defense to see some speed like that, because he can really, really run.”
The question isn’t if Klubnik will get game time. It’s when. And although an appearance against Georgia Tech isn’t out of the realm of possibility, with a matchup against FCS side Furman looming next week, it seems very likely that Klubnik will get a chance to lead the Tigers’ offense out at some point.
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