A college debut can be a nerve-wracking experience for a true freshman, particularly when it comes against a conference foe in front of a national television audience.
But if Cade Klubnik had any first-game jitters, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney couldn’t tell.
The Tigers’ latest blue-chip quarterback signee got his first collegiate snaps Monday night in Clemson’s season-opening win over Georgia Tech inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Swinney and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said throughout the preseason that Klubnik was going to have a role this season despite D.J. Uiagalelei being entrenched as the starter.
When Klubnik finally made his debut midway through the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ 31-point rout, he didn’t disappoint.
Klubnik led a 10-play, 66-yard scoring drive that he capped with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Will Taylor. It came on a rollout similar to the touchdown toss Deshaun Watson had to Hunter Renfrow for Clemson’s national championship game-winner in 2017.
“It’s a good start right there for sure,” Swinney said. “Great to see him go in there and the moment not be too big and really just execute.”
It wasn’t the only time the Tigers got the athletic 6-foot-2, 195-pounder on the move, a different look than the pass plays called with Uiagalelei in the game. Klubnik’s first completion was a 20-yard dart to Taylor while again moving to his right.
Klubnik, whose athleticism and throwing style Swinney has compared to Watson, finished 4 of 6 passing on the drive and needed just 3 minutes, 40 seconds to get the offense into the end zone, further fanning the flames of a perceived competition with Uiagalelei atop the depth chart from outside observers. Swinney and Streeter reiterated after the game that Uiagalelei is still the starter after he completed 19 of 32 passes for 210 yards and accounted for two touchdowns in three and a half quarters.
But whether it be emotions or execution, Swinney felt good about what he saw out of Klubnik’s first game reps.
“Super talented,” Swinney said. “And it’s awesome to see him get the opportunity and then go do what he did. Definitely we can go from there.”
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