Cade Klubnik, Clemson’s newest QB, arrives on campus with 5-star expectations
Clemson’s growing legacy of quarterbacks doesn’t appear to be falling off any time soon.
After signing his national letter of intent with the Tigers a month ago, Austin Westlake (Texas) signal caller and five-star recruit Cade Klubnik reported to campus on Sunday. His arrival came less than 24 hours after a top-notch performance at the All-American Bowl where he was named the All-American Player of the Year.
“He was a very consistent performer throughout the week and in the game, it was kind of a no contest there between him and the other quarterbacks,” Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman said. “Just a complete gamer, looked incredibly comfortable going up against the elite competition he was facing whether he was under pressure or had to scramble.”
Now at Clemson, Klubnik will take a spot on the depth chart behind rising junior D.J. Uiagalelei, who inherited the Tigers’ offense from Trevor Lawrence. The latter just completed his first season with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
Whether or not Klubnik can contend right away for Clemson’s starting job remains to be seen, but he’s got a lot in common at similar career stages with Lawrence and Uiagalelei. All three were five-star prospects and the top-ranked quarterback in their respective classes, and they all had a high level of success at the high school level.
Lawrence was the only four-year starter of the three, starring at Cartersville (Georgia) High School, while Uiagalelei led his St. John Bosco (California) squad to be recognized as the national champion by several outlets when he was a senior. Of the three, Klubnik won the most state championships (three), pocketing 33 wins and an undefeated record as a two-plus-year starter.
“The last two years, his high school football resume, I mean, he’s a Texas high school football legend,” said 247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong. “Led his team to two straight titles in the state’s largest class, finishes out as an All-American with the All-American Bowl, then throws three touchdowns in the game. He’s a Texas high school football legend and we’ll see what the next chapter of his journey is.”
How Klubnik’s prep success translates on college level has yet to be determined, but his skill set would suggest a relatively smooth transition.
One of his biggest advantages is his mobility. Klubnik — listed as 6-foot-2 1/2, 186 pounds — rushed for 1,178 yards and 31 touchdowns during his time with the Chaparrals.
“There’s certainly elite pass rushers that he’s going to face in the ACC, let alone practice. I think his legs could really help him there,” Friedman said. “His awareness, we saw a lot of that in the game on Saturday, just how he was able to keep his eyes downfield and find open receivers. I think we could see that show up a bit more when he arrives at Clemson because he is going to be under pressure. He’s not going to be as familiar with the offensive system. I think that’s what we can see shine in his game early on.”
For the 6-foot-6, 213-pound Lawrence, considered a generational talent, his high school success translated into the college environment well. As a true freshman, he won a national championship in 2018 and only lost two games during his college career.
Uiagalelei had two standout performances as a freshman when Lawrence was out with COVID-19, setting a record for most passing yards given up by Notre Dame in a game on Nov. 7, 2020 despite the 47-40 double overtime loss. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Southern Californian beat Boston College 34-28 in his first college start the week before. He struggled in 2021 as a sophomore, but put together some of his best performances toward the end.
“DJ is still coming along in his development,” Friedman said. “We saw everything from him this season, big powerful arm. The talent is obvious. It’s more about the speed of the game and the accuracy and being able to play within that system.”
Once spring football starts in less than two months, Klubnik will have a chance to begin learning Clemson’s system and compete as one of the Tigers’ signal callers. He has the potential to challenge for the starting role right away depending on how things go, but it’s Uiagalelei’s job to either keep or lose. It’s a good problem for Clemson to have as the team continues to build on its legacy of top-tier quarterbacks.
“When you look at (Lawrence and Uiagalelei) and then you look at the way that Cade Klubnik closed out his last two years of high school, it’s kind of similar,” Wiltfong said, “playing on arguably the best high school football team in the country like they both did, leads them to two straight state championships, was a prolific passer each year. He’s got a lot in common with those guys when you look at the resume. Then he came down (to the All-American Bowl) and made it look just as easy.
“The game really slows down for Cade Klubnik. He’s got a great feel for it.”
When they were high school prospects ...
Career stats for these three Clemson signees, who were all five-stars. Overall ranking according to 247Sports Composite
- Trevor Lawrence (Class of 2018, national No. 1 recruit): 13,908 yards passing; 161 TDs; 21 INTs
- D.J. Uiagalelei (Class of 2020, national No. 10 recruit): 10,496 yards passing; 127 TDs; 11 INTs
- Cade Klubnik (Class of 2022, national No. 18 recruit): 7,561 yards passing; 87 TDs; 6 INTs
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
