Cade Klubnik could have chosen any alternative other than Clemson! Look at his breakout stat at Westlake (Austin, TX). He used to get a lot of Zoom calls from the top-tier school scouts asking him to give it a shot. It was during the COVID pandemic, and he rarely moved out of the classroom to talk to coaches and stuff in the process. He didn’t get to take multiple trips to the schools to analyse their pros and cons. But then he had to take a call. Eventually, he reached out to Coach [Brandon] Streeter and Coach [Tony] Elliott through social media. “Hey, it’d be awesome to get in touch, and here’s my phone number.”The one push turned out to be the most life-changing choice.

The funny thing about the college football narrative is that it changes in the blink of an eye. Just a minute ago, it was mid-2024, and people were throwing shades at Klubnik and coach Swinney, saying the Tigers no longer need Klubnik under the center. Rather, Swinney should opt for some red-hot QBs in the portal. Now, we are three months down in the year 2025, and in a twisting reality, people have the 6 ft 2 in the coveted Heisman conversation.

Despite catching side eyes after a few lackluster games, Clemson has had an outstanding year overall, leading the Tigers back to the ACC title. Going from 2844 yards and 19 touchdowns to 3639 total yards and 36 touchdowns was never a cakewalk. From a rookie to a TD machine, Klubnik carved out his path to excellence. Is it time to strive for better at some other school out there? Well, not even an option in Klubnik’s bingo card. He, in fact, took pity on the ongoing transfer portal trend and looked to god with a heart full of gratitude. Clemson is the best that could happen.

I was talking the other day. It’s like just looking around the country, and you know, I’m going back to Elite 11 this summer. Just looking at my Elite 11 class and all those great quarterbacks, it’s like none of those guys are where they committed to, and they’ve bounced around. It’s hard for you to know that that kind of grade was really the first,” the Texas kid came clean on his take around the NIL-driven paradigm shift.

People have different reasons, so to speak. It’s not always about the money. Sometimes, it’s not getting your turn to catch the spotlight for an overcrowded QB room, sometimes it’s the receiver’s glitch that made your career a trash or any other dogma that’s causing a serious conundrum. Thankfully, Coach Riley, Coach Swinney, and the others never allowed any similar inconvenience for Klubnik. ”

My grade was really the first group of guys that came in and had to. That’s where the portal really started, and it’s tough to see, you know. A class like that moves around and bounces around so much, and it just made me so thankful that I chose here. I am just so thankful that I’m at a place where I don’t want to leave, and I don’t have to leave,” the QB phenom said during an April 11th interview with Trevor Immelman 

Klubnik didn’t just throw any shade at any of the QBs of his class, as he knows the pressure cooker grind. Starting a career at one school and finishing under another was never Cade Klubnik’s modus operandi. But if he didn’t get the dividends of his patience last year with a breakout stat, he might have to adjust his ideals a bit. But chill out, that’s not the case. Klubnik continued,

“I am just so thankful that I chose Clemson and but it’s been so fun to be with Coach Riley in year three now, and just you know super excited I feel like we just keep taking more and more steps forward and in the right direction, so it’s been fun. “Heading into the spring, Klubnik might not have yet made any strides, but he’s gearing up, folks. If you’re on the opposite side of the Tigers’ ablaze offense on the field, you’d better be ready for an untamed beast booming your way.

Cade Klubnik raises the bar after one breakout year at Clemson

Paul Finebaum doesn’t mince his words while dishing harsh reality checks to players. He has a history of putting the most generational QB in the bus, and you can’t ignore his takes. After all, his years of experience, elite knowledge, and deep understanding of the industry made him a GOAT in his class. So, when the SEC Network journalist gives you a nod, you can rest assured you’re going to rock the world sooner or later. Cade Klubink falls into that rare breed.

“I think it’s possible Cade Klubnik is the best quarterback coming back in the country,” self-anointed “Mouth of the South,” deemed Cade as the QB to watch in 2025. The fourth-year quarterback’s recent reel only added to that faith.  Klubnik put the 134 FBS teams on notice, dropping a reel on his Instagram handle with the caption ‘No reset, just reload.”

It’s far from a hollow cry. Klubnik has the backup, the unwavering edge to claim a spot. “We’ve got a lot of coaches that are players.” The confession clearly speaks of the hierarchical support that the juniors are getting from the veterans, which makes the Tigers a real, compact threat to the rivals. When talent, depth chart, meets the culture, the tradition of team bonding, and a high-yielding vision, it fosters magic. Tighten your belt for a Cade Klubnik Survivor series in Death Valley.