Clemson’s quarterback room has built a very strong camaraderie, according to the Tigers’ QB1.
“I think that we’re a really tight group, overall probably one of the tightest groups in a QB sense that I’ve felt,” Cade Klubnik said following Clemson’s practice on Tuesday.
“So, just really proud of them.”
Klubnik, a rising junior, enters his second full season as Clemson’s starting quarterback in 2024.
Last season, the former Texas Gatorade Player of the Year from Westlake High School (Austin, Texas) completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 2,844 yards and 19 touchdowns with nine interceptions over 13 starts. He also rushed for 182 yards and four touchdowns on 125 carries.
As for the second- and third-string quarterbacks behind Klubnik – redshirt freshman Christopher Vizzina and redshirt sophomore Trent Pearman – Klubnik believes the two signal-callers have taken a step forward ahead of the 2024 season.
Vizzina, a former national top-50 prospect, played nine snaps in two games while redshirting his first year at Clemson in 2023. He joined the Tigers after passing for 5,000 yards in his prep career at Briarwood Christian School (Birmingham, Ala.).
Based on what he’s seen in practice, Klubnik feels Vizzina is poised for a big second-year leap.
“Like any other college quarterback, I think anybody’s going to make a huge step in their year two,” Klubnik said. “For CV, he’s learning the game even more and just being more efficient with his legs and making better decisions and making great decisions when it comes to just pre-snap decisions and just finding the guys that he really needs to get to.”
Klubnik also praised Pearman, a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina, who joined Clemson as a walk-on in 2022. The product of nearby Daniel High School served on the scout team while redshirting in 2022 before making his college debut vs. Florida Atlantic in 2023 and playing two snaps.
Pearman shined during Clemson’s spring game back in April, when he finished 13-of-18 passing for 141 yards and had a touchdown pass while also putting his athleticism on display with a 49-yard touchdown run.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has called Pearman a “baller,” and Klubnik echoed that sentiment.
“Trent’s been doing a great job in terms of just being an incredible leader, but then just going out there when he gets out there and being a baller,” Klubnik said. “When that ball’s in his hands, he’s going to make plays, and really proud of him.”
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