The 2024 season crushed the Clemson Tigers’ College Football Playoff dreams. That’s when Dabo Swinney’s quarterback, Cade Klubnik, had a tough decision to make. Two paths laid infront of him. One, committing to the 2025 NFL Draft, carrying a lot of question marks. Two, hit the return button. Klubnik, however, opted for the second option. 

As the ‘last chance’ narrative started to do rounds for the QB, it turns out that he is leaving no stones unturned to prove himself. The efforts did reach Coach Swinney, who shared his take after their latest scrimmage. Meanwhile, here come the updates on the rest of the squad who got blessed by the injury gods.

Cade Klubnik: From shaky start to being a TD machine

The 2024 season showed some serious growth for Klubnik. Yes, indeed, he caught side eyes for his shaky performance against the Georgia Bulldogs, but soon got rid of all the doubts. He led Swinney’s program to an ACC title and a CFP appearance. Klubnik’s performance helped Clemson to a 10-4 overall record and a victory over SMU in the ACC Championship. With this, he could have easily found himself a spot in the draft among other college football stars like Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. But his heart craved for something else. “I’m still hungry for what I know this program has…I came to Clemson to win a national championship. That’s still right here for me,” said Klubnik. And guess what? His hunger is evident in his efforts to push himself more.

On March 26, the Tigers’ HC faced the media after their second scrimmage of the spring. Swinney could not help but shower his QB with praise. “He’s good, he bounced back.” He continued, “I mean, he wasn’t terrible. I know everybody was like, ‘Oh my god,” I say one critical thing. He’s had a really good spring. I didn’t think he was as sharp as he needed to be in that first scrimmage… Anytime you get an opportunity to yell at some of those guys, it’s great. He don’t give you a lot of opportunities, so take advantage of it when you get a chance to really coach your best players, hard.” Well, Swinney is impressed, and it’s not just about the spring. Throughout the 2024 season, the QB kept on working on himself. 

Now, Klubnik’s performance in the 2024 season opener is still fresh in the fans’ memories. The QB could only complete 15 of 31 passes for 255 yards. And how many touchdowns? ZERO. However, in week 2, Swinney’s star QB showed a different version of himself. Klubnik started to rain touchdowns on the gridiron. 5 touchdowns against Appalachian State, 3 against North Carolina State, and 4 against Stanford. He wrapped up the 2024 season with a 63.4% completion rate, 3639 total yards, and 36 touchdowns. The season before, Klubnik came up with 19 touchdowns and 2844 yards. Now, Swinney’s signal-caller has picked up the craze. So much so, that on the 247Sports show, the co-host came up with the question, “Could we see him [Klubnik] break the record for single season passing TDs in the ACC?”

The record is held by former Pittsburgh Panthers QB Kenny Pickett, who broke the school’s single-season record for passing touchdowns with 42. To this, former Cleveland Browns star Gerald V Dixon predicted, “50, we have seen it before… 50 and a Heisman,” from Klubnik. While the QB woes are likely not to continue to 2025, here are the injury updates…

Injuries plague Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers

Right now, injuries are plaguing Coach Swinney’s squad. The players struggling are starting left tackle, redshirt senior Tristan Leigh, redshirt junior safety Kylon Griffin, and redshirt sophomore running back Jarvis Green. During Monday, March 24’s practice at Memorial Stadium, Leigh was spotted on a scooter. His left leg drew attention as it was heavily wrapped. On the other hand, Swinney’s running back kept himself in the sidelines, wearing a boot.

As for Green, the HC informed, “Those (mid-foot sprains) are painful and sore, and it’s going to probably put him out for about four or five weeks or so.” And what about Leigh? “He had a little procedure just to help him kind of get over that ankle (injury) a little bit,” confirmed Swinney. But then came his assurance: “He [Leigh] will be fine.” However, when it comes to Griffin, the updates are a bit concerning.

“Kylon has had a great spring. Unfortunately, he got hurt the other day. He just had a strain in his leg, so he’s going to be out for the rest of spring.” Dabo Swinney is going to miss his safety a little more. After all, he entered the season with some impressive numbers. 39 tackles (0.5 for loss), three interceptions, and two pass breakups in 523 snaps over 26 career games (four starts). The 2025 season will test Dabo Swinney’s leadership as he leans on a prime Cade Klubnik while managing a roster riddled with injuries.