Clemson football quarterback Cade Klubnik has found his groove in recent games, turning things around after a tough start. Following a difficult outing against Georgia’s defense in the season opener, where he completed 18 of 29 passes for just 142 yards with an interception, Klubnik has shown major improvement. He’s now delivered standout performances in back-to-back wins against App State and NC State, completing 80% of his passes for 587 yards and accounting for 11 total touchdowns (eight through the air and three on the ground).
On Wednesday, offensive coordinator Garrett Riley highlighted the strides Klubnik has made, crediting both the quarterback’s individual efforts and the team’s overall progress. “He’s definitely grown,” Riley said, noting how everyone around Klubnik has stepped up, which has helped foster his development. “If we’re not all operating at a higher level, it’s hard for the quarterback to make such noticeable improvements.”
Klubnik, a former five-star recruit, showed flashes of his potential last season, completing 64% of his passes for nearly 2,850 yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also contributed four rushing scores. Now, after a strong start to this season, Riley acknowledged there’s still work to do. Reflecting on the recent NC State game, Riley said, “We left a few plays on the field, and there’s always more room to grow, but Cade’s been playing really well.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s game against Stanford, Klubnik has been efficient, completing over 73% of his passes for 729 yards, adding eight passing touchdowns and three on the ground, with just one interception so far this season.