Why NFL Draft experts think Clemson’s Cade Klubnik could be No. 1 overall pick
When ESPN analyst Jordan Reid started evaluating 2026 NFL Draft prospects last year, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik didn’t exactly jump off the page.
“He didn’t have a lot of fans, honestly,” Reid said. “Myself included.”
Then he watched Klubnik dice up N.C. State for 52 points in three quarters, rip off a 50-yard game-winning touchdown run against Pitt and throw for 336 yards and three touchdowns against Texas’ No. 1 passing defense during his junior season.
Those moments made him a Klubnik believer — and a bit of a trendsetter.
Reid made a splash on May 1 when he released his 2026 way-too-early NFL mock draft and listed Klubnik as the No. 1 overall pick to the Cleveland Browns.
He was the first major NFL Draft analyst to project Klubnik that high. It was an almost unthinkable rise for a quarterback who has said he avoided going out in public during a rocky first season as Clemson’s starter in 2023 and was facing calls to be benched as recently as the Tigers’ 2024 season-opening loss to Georgia.
Reid said all the newfound praise is deserved.
“As the year went along, and as I watched the tape on him back in February and March as I’m prepping for the way-too-early mock, I saw a lot of strides that he made,” Reid said in June, adding that Klubnik played “exceptionally well” in Clemson’s College Football Playoff loss at Texas. “He saved his best for last.”
Cade Klubnik’s NFL QB comparisons, outlook
Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns against six interceptions in 2024 and also ran for 463 yards and seven scores. His 4,102 yards of total offense ranked No. 4 nationally, and his 36 passing TDs were tied for the second most in a single season in Clemson history. His turnover count dropped significantly.
Entering his senior season, Klubnik has the third-best betting odds to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy behind Texas QB Arch Manning and LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier.
And his NFL Draft profile has only grown. Reid’s ESPN colleague Matt Miller also projected Klubnik as the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NFL Draft to the Browns in June.
Klubnik has been compared to pro quarterbacks including Bo Nix (Broncos), Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers) and Ryan Tannehill (formerly Dolphins/Titans) because of his mobility.
Reid emphasized the Texas game is when he thought things “really clicked” for Klubnik, who will be playing behind the exact same offensive line minus one starter in 2025 and throwing to an impressive receiving corps led by Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore (plus Tyler Brown and Tristan Smith).
“And I think they’ll be better in the backfield,” Reid said. “Replacing Phil Mafah, they’ll be a little more dynamic there. And then, of course, the offensive coordinator stayed the same as well with Garrett Riley, so he isn’t having to learn anything new. He has all his targets coming back. So I think he’s set up to have a huge season.”
What Cade Klubnik must improve on in 2025
Although Klubnik is widely considered a first-round talent, not every draft analyst is as high on him as Reid. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah wrote in July that Klubnik (6-2, 210) doesn’t have an “overpowering arm” and could add a little more weight.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler omitted Klubnik from his initial 2026 way-too-early mock draft in April but said Klubnik has “every opportunity to kind of plant his flag as the top senior this year,” especially given that the 2026 quarterback draft class does not have a clear No. 1 prospect.
“We haven’t seen enough of Arch Manning,” Brugler said. “He might not even be in this draft class. Who knows? So you look at the seniors and it’s like, ‘OK, Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar. There’s a few guys.’ Klubnik, he’s right up there with them.”
Along with Manning, Klubnik, Nussmeier and Allar, other notable 2026 QB prospects include South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (a redshirt sophomore who, like Manning, is draft eligible but could return to college) and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
Reid said Klubnik, 21, can still improve in “trusting his arm a little bit more” in tight throwing windows and overall consistency and decision-making. Clemson’s 2024 offense, though high-scoring, had dry spells in a number of games against big-time opponents last year (including SEC foes Georgia, South Carolina and Texas).
“Just putting it all together,” Reid said. “Honestly, that’s what you want to see in a first-round quarterback. And that starts with Week 1 against LSU. LSU is going to have a really talented defense this year, so he’s going to get a chance to prove right away that he’s worthy of the hype going into this year.”
The State’s Jordan Kaye contributed reporting.
