Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney joined Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain to preview the Tigers’ upcoming season, and among the topics Swinney discussed is the Tigers’ QB1.
Swinney spoke about his expectations for Cade Klubnik this season – and Swinney made it clear what he wants to see from Klubnik in his second year as Clemson’s starting quarterback.
“The No. 1 thing is he’s got to reduce his negative plays. Just that simple,” Swinney said during his appearance on the Gramlich & Mac Lain show. “I mean, just took too many negative plays last year that were on him. And again, a first-year starter, and sometimes I think he tried to do a little too much. And these are things that he’d go back and you study and you watch.”
In 13 games (all starts) as a true sophomore in 2023, Klubnik completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,844 yards and 19 passing touchdowns with nine interceptions, to go with 182 rushing yards and four more scores on the ground.
Swinney pointed out that Klubnik’s negative plays were not as big of an issue in the passing game, but more so from the standpoint of taking too many sacks.
“He actually was pretty accurate with the ball and took care of the ball from a passing game standpoint. … You know, he had some (interceptions) that were not his fault,” Swinney said. “Too many sacks where he’s trying to do too much, you know, pocket presence.”
Going into last season, Klubnik knew nothing but winning as a starting quarterback.
A former five-star prospect and former Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, Klubnik guided Westlake High School in Austin, Texas to three consecutive state championships from 2019-2021. He played in 38 career games at Westlake, including 37 wins, and posted a perfect 27-0 mark as a starter his last two years.
As a true freshman at Clemson in 2022, Klubnik had a signature game when he came off the bench to lead the Tigers to a blowout victory over North Carolina in the ACC Championship. He took home the game’s MVP honors after completing 20-of-24 passes for 279 yards, rushing seven times for 30 yards and scoring two total touchdowns.
While things didn’t go as smoothly for Klubnik last year in his first season as the full-time starter, he finished strong while helping rally the Tigers to five straight wins to end the season with a 9-4 record following a 4-4 start.
Swinney loved seeing how Klubnik handled adversity – and responded to it – during a rocky 2023 campaign.
“You’re talking about a kid that’s coming in here, he’s never lost,” Swinney said. “The guy’s won three state championships. I think the closest game he had was maybe 14 points. And then he comes in and he really gets his first big playing moment and he’s the MVP of the game in the ACC Championship Game. So, being able to handle adversity, and I think that he showed a lot of resilience last year. I’m really proud of him and especially how he’s carried that into this season. He’s really grown as a leader as well. That’s a part of that position.
“But I think the number one thing is just the negative plays. If we can just cut that in half — he’s going to have some negative plays, especially if you’re trying to make some plays. But if he’ll do a better job with that, then that’ll be a big step for him in his maturity and maturation process.”
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