Clemson’s latest blue-chip quarterback is making strides in his first spring at Clemson. That includes the work he’s doing on his body.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he doesn’t have a particular weight he wants Cade Klubnik at for his true freshman season, but he added he believes Klubnik will “easily” reach 200 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame by the time the fall rolls around. Klubnik, a mid-year enrollee after signing with the Tigers as a five-star prospect out of Westlake (Texas) High, has gone through his first spring at Clemson listed at 185 pounds on the team’s official roster.
“I’m not going to be pouting if he’s 198 or 205, but he looks great,” Swinney said. “He’s really progressing like you need him to.”
Swinney said the physical progress Klubnik has made since being in a college weight room reminds him of another Clemson quarterback, Deshaun Watson, who’s now with the Cleveland Browns. Watson initially arrived at Clemson weighing less than 200 pounds before starting five games as a true freshman in 2014.
“He looks almost identical to Deshaun,” Swinney said. “Like , literally, if you took their January pictures when they got here and put them side by side, they’re like clones. Shoulders. Arms. Body type. Just where they were weight-wise in getting here. And I think Deshaun was 200 come August.”
A former-five star recruit himself, Watson initially replaced Cole Stoudt as the starter during that ‘14 season before starting each of the next two seasons. He led the Tigers to the 2016 national championship before the Houston Texans took him with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Whether or not Klubnik is able to make that kind of impact immediately remains to be seen with D.J. Uiagalelei still around. Despite Uiagalelei’s struggles a season ago, offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter has made it clear that Uiagalelei is still the Tigers’ starter for now.
Swinney recently called Uiagalelei’s spring “excellent.” Both quarterbacks are continuing to work on themselves
“They’ve had some really, really good days, and they’ve had some days where they’ve got to fix some stuff,” said tight ends coach Kyle Richardson, who doubles as passing-game coordinator. “But the great thing about both of those guys is they just come to work every day. They don’t get too high, and they don’t get too low.”
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