The most valuable player on any football team is undoubtedly the quarterback. Teams that struggle in the NFL are often, at the very least, a quarterback away from success.
As such, the nation’s top collegiate quarterbacks are usually all scooped up in the first round of the NFL draft, with the best in class going first overall. Eight out of the last 10 first overall picks have been quarterbacks.
A common preseason belief was that Clemson’s very own Cade Klubnik would be in the Heisman conversation this year. He was projected to be among the elite quarterbacks in the country. However, a rough season has revealed a harsh truth: Klubnik may be a day three pick at best.
The NFL draft spans three days. The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft will take place on Thursday, April 23. Rounds two and three will occur the next day, with rounds four through seven following the subsequent afternoon.
Klubnik has put plenty of film on tape in his tenure as a Tiger. After last weekend’s game against Louisville, the former five-star has suited up in Clemson Orange 46 times, second only to Tajh Boyd’s 47 games played.
Evaluating quarterbacks is a lengthy, nuanced process for NFL general managers. While front offices will dive deep into hours of highlights, let’s just take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of Klubnik’s play.
The good: Physical tools
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Klubnik plays like he’s 6-foot-5 and 240. He is an athletic and physical runner, elusive and mobile enough to extend plays and outrun defenders, while also being tough enough to run them over.
The Austin, Texas, native has wowed audiences with his arm strength and accuracy since his high school days at Westlake High School in his hometown. Klubnik throws one of the prettiest deep balls you may ever see, regardless of whether or not he has his feet set in or outside of the pocket.
Klubnik has shown time and time again that he is unafraid to stand in the face of pressure to deliver a pass. His 43-yard touchdown pass to Cole Turner against Stanford last season is just one example of the senior quarterback putting his body on the line for his team.
NFL scouts will no doubt marvel at Klubnik’s physical gifts; he’s toolsy and has the unteachables. A strong pro day or combine showing could earn him some positive attention come springtime.
The bad: Inconsistency
An unfortunate trend in the Klubnik era is that Clemson is 0-3 in its last three season openers.
While it is perhaps a fault of the team as a whole to kick seasons off poorly, Klubnik hasn’t helped his case with his weak play. In those three games combined, he completed 64 of his 110 passes, a 58.18% completion percentage, for 581 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
Another trend has been streaky quarterback play.
In 2023, even with the season-opening loss, Klubnik threw 11 touchdowns against only two interceptions in the first six games. Over the next seven, he threw eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He managed to stay hot for almost all of his junior season following the loss to Georgia, but the negative streak returned at the start of 2025.
Clemson started the year 1-3, and Klubnik threw for just six touchdowns alongside four interceptions. After the year was all but over, he turned it around and threw for seven touchdowns with just one pick in the following four games.
The ugly: Difficulty seeing the field
Despite all the improvements Klubnik has made during his collegiate career, one critical flaw has persisted: he struggles to read defenses at times.
Diagnosing the defense pre- and post-snap is the most essential quarterbacking skill in operating an effective offense, and it is something that Clemson’s signal-caller has not shown proficiency in thus far.
Quarterbacks often have a schemed first look, or a receiver who is supposed to get open against a particular coverage. If it’s open, they throw the ball. If the coverage changes after the snap, or if the receiver is not open, the quarterback should snap his eyes to a different player and find the open man.
Klubnik tends to get stuck on his first read on passing plays. He will look in one direction the whole time, holding onto the ball for too long or forcing throws on occasion.
Another crucial aspect of intelligent quarterback play is identifying blitzes. It is the quarterback’s responsibility to tell the offensive line who to block when a blitz is coming. If more blitzers than blockers are inbound, it is the quarterback’s responsibility to get the ball out quickly or make that extra man miss.
Opposing defenses have, instead, feasted when sending several defenders after the Clemson quarterback, as free rushers often sack Klubnik, which he clearly never sees coming.
An NFL quarterback career comes with a steep learning curve, one that Klubnik will need to adjust to before the draft if he hopes to hear his name called before the fourth round.