This question is premature, but it’s valid.
Cade Klubnik came to Clemson as a five-star gun-slinging quarterback out of Texas. When DJ Uiagalelei performed poorly, fans called for the then-freshman to be the new starter. Head coach Dabo Swinney waited to name Klubnik the starter, but it was inevitable.
When Klubnik got the nod, he answered with a stellar performance in the season’s final game.
That was last year, though, and while Klubnik did give fans and pundits hope, the flaws were apparent after Monday night.
As stated earlier, this is a premature question. Klubnik’s performance against Duke could be a bad game, but it looked more profound than that. Klubnik looked lost in the offense at times. The offense didn’t move down the field from his arm, and his reads were off.
Swinney claims the Labor Day loss to be almost indescribable. You can challenge that claim by asking another question: Was it too early to give the keys to Klubnik?
Klubnik’s performance in the Orange Bowl last year clearly indicated he wasn’t ready to take charge of the offense. Two interceptions, and Clemson’s offense only put up 14 points against Tennessee. Not many wanted to mention that because there were no other options after Uiagalelei was run out of town.
Unlike Uiagalelei, Klubnik doesn’t have pressure from the backups.
There is no threat to Klubnik inside the quarterback room this year. The Tigers have six quarterbacks on the roster, including Klubnik. Hunter Helms is listed as the backup, followed by a graduated transfer from Alabama, Paul Tyson, who only attempted 16 passes at Bama. Helms only has 25 attempts, but neither is close to being called for by Death Valley.
So, back to the initial question, do you still trust Klubnik as the guy to lead the Tigers back into the college football playoffs? Honestly, one shouldn’t decrease the trust value, but the clock is ticking, just like it was for Uiagalelei.