There’s no off-season in Clemson, at least not when it comes to drama. You’d think after a 10-4 finish that left them out of the playoffs, the Tigers would be locked in, heads down, grinding for a comeback. But nah, Dabo Swinney’s got his QB1 making headlines for something other than a laser throw. The spring scrimmage just turned into must-watch TV, with Cade Klubnik and Swinney having a little… let’s call it a heated discussion. And now? WR TJ Moore is stepping up with his take on the whole thing, and honestly, it’s worth the read.

April 1st wasn’t just about jokes—Clemson’s TJ Moore had some real talk for the media when asked about Klubnik’s progress. “Cade’s been a great leader, vocally, physically, all of that. He’s been walking us through everything,” Moore said, standing firm behind his QB. “Like today, I ran a route wrong, so we kind of talked about it on the sideline, and then we got the connection that we needed.”

For those who forgot, Klubnik didn’t exactly stink up the field last season. The man put up 3,639 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and only six picks. Oh, and let’s not forget another 463 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Those are straight-up Heisman stats. But somehow, his head coach wasn’t feeling the vibe after Clemson’s first scrimmage, and the whole thing popped off in the most Dabo way possible.

Now, TJ Moore backing his QB is big. TJ Moore straight-up balled out in the 2024 season. The Tigers WR snagged 45 catches for 651 yards—averaging a solid 14.5 yards per grab—and punched in 5 TDs. He wasn’t just showing up; he was showing out. Even in the All-American Bowl, he went off with 10 catches, 166 yards, and 2 TDs, snatching that MVP like it was nothing.

Dabo Swinney’s been running the Clemson show for a minute now, and if there’s one thing we know about him, it’s that he keeps it top-notch. He’s got two national championships under his belt, but ever since that 2020 season, things haven’t exactly been smooth sailing. So now, he’s coaching like a man on a mission, and Klubnik? He’s the key piece to making it all work.

Cade Klubnik and Dabo Swinney’s wild exchange at first scrimmage practice

With one of the Heisman favorites back under center, Clemson’s 2025 season should be looking up. The defense got a whole new glow-up with Tom Allen stepping in as the defensive coordinator. But if you thought spring practice was gonna be all sunshine and smooth routes, well, let’s just say Swinney had other plans.

Per Jon Blau of The Post and Courier, Swinney didn’t hold back after the scrimmage. The man straight-up called Klubnik’s performance “pretty average,” which, for a QB1 who’s trying to lead his team back to playoff glory, had to sting a little. But it didn’t stop there. Swinney took it up a notch with a classic Dabo-ism: “Must have been thinking of Cabo.”

Cade Klubnik? Yeah, he wasn’t exactly thrilled. “I wasn’t… I was mad he said that,” he admitted. But before we go making this the next great coach-QB feud, the vibes got smoothed over real quick. Klubnik himself admitted he just had a bad day, and Swinney later downplayed the whole thing, saying his comments were overblown. Even Blau mentioned Klubnik was smiling when he talked about being “mad.” But let’s be real. This wasn’t just about one bad scrimmage. This was a reminder that Clemson football ain’t here to coast. If they wanna get back to being a playoff powerhouse, they need everyone—especially Klubnik—locked in and hungry for that title.

Clemson fans had every reason to expect Klubnik to be that dude last year. And for the most part, he was. But when you’re wearing that orange and purple, good ain’t good enough. That’s why Swinney’s grilling him in the spring—because come fall, there won’t be any room for “average.” But here’s the thing: Cade Klubnik could’ve dipped when things didn’t go how he imagined in 2023. He could’ve hit the portal, found a new team, and said, ‘I’m out.’ But he stayed. And that says a lot. It means he’s willing to take Swinney’s heat. It means he wants to be coached hard. And most importantly, it means he’s all in on getting Clemson back to where they belong.

At the end of the day, a little coach-QB tension isn’t the worst thing in the world. In fact, it might be exactly what Clemson needs. The Tigers aren’t just trying to have a good season—they’re trying to reclaim their spot as one of the elites. And if that means Swinney’s gotta throw some verbal jabs at his QB1 in the spring, so be it. The real question is: How does Klubnik respond? If he shakes this off and comes back sharper, more locked in, and ready to prove Swinney wrong, then Clemson fans have every reason to be hyped. But if the pressure starts cracking him before the season even starts? That’s when you start worrying.