Tag: Hunter Johnson

Klubnik: There’s ‘love’ among Clemson’s QBs

Cade Klubnik didn’t have to do much with his most recent game reps other than hold onto the ball. Clemson’s latest blue-chip quarterback signee found himself getting his most critical playing time of his freshman season last week when he entered the …

Cade Klubnik didn’t have to do much with his most recent game reps other than hold onto the ball.

Clemson’s latest blue-chip quarterback signee found himself getting his most critical playing time of his freshman season last week when he entered the Syracuse game in the second half with the Tigers trailing 21-10. His number was called because of three turnovers committed by D.J. Uiagalelei, who was benched after his overthrow of tight end Davis Allen turned into his second interception midway through the third quarter.

Klubnik is the faster of the two quarterbacks. But on a day when Clemson ran for a season-high 293 yards, Klubnik ran it (six times for 15 yards) more than he threw it primarily because that’s what was working. Most importantly, he didn’t fumble. And none of his four passes ended up the hands of any Orange defenders as Clemson held onto the ball long enough to rally for a 27-21 win that kept their perfect record intact.

“Just excited to get my moment,” Klubnik said.

Klubnik wasn’t perfect. During his first series, the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder took a sack that could’ve been avoided had he stepped up into the pocket instead of trying to escape it, a learning moment for the youngster. But he also flashed his talent on a two-point play after Clemson’s go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter, avoiding pressure long enough to find Joseph Ngata tight-roping the back of the end zone for the conversion.

Despite entering the game at an adverse moment, Klubnik said he was confident for a couple of reasons. Some of it came naturally after already playing in four games and trying as much as possible to mimic those kinds of reps all season in practice.

“Coach Swinney has been saying that confidence comes from preparation,” Klubnik said. “We prepare every week like every single one of us is going to start the game.”

Klubnik said some of that confidence given to him by the other four quarterbacks in his position room. Uiagalelei and Klubnik are joined there by transfer Hunter Johnson and former walk-ons Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles.

They all compete with each other, but they’re also each other’s biggest fans. That was no more apparent than when Uiagalelei pulled Klubnik aside before entering Saturday’s game, offering some words of advice and tapping him on the helmet for good measure.

“D.J.’s going to lead us,” Klubnik said. “We’re right behind him. So that whole QB room, it’s all so tight. Just the love that we have in there. There’s not really one guy that stands out. Obviously D.J. obviously is the guy, but we’re all just so tight and all have so much trust. When I finally got in there, I was kind of ready.”

Streeter ‘very excited’ regarding Uiagalelei’s improvement

Streeter has been more than impressed with his quarterback’s improved speed, accuracy and confidence on the field so far this fall.

It is no secret that Clemson’s quarterback situation has been a big topic of discussion this preseason and following practice earlier this week, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter shared his excitement surrounding the vast improvement he’s seen from starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.

“Very very excited,” Streeter said. “He’s gotten so much more confident in running. Like we talked about before, just losing the weight and getting healthy with his knee, he’s just got a lot of confidence right now. Moving around, escaping the pocket, creating plays with his feet and that showed a lot on Saturday. Man, he did some really good stuff that I’m excited to see how he does this fall.”

Uiagalelei’s improved mobility and speed comes after the second-year starter dropped roughly 30 pounds this offseason. Along with his newfound speed, Streeter has noticed a rise in his quarterback’s confidence both in his own abilities and the offensive weapons that are in his backfield.

“I think he’s just gotten more confident,” Streeter said. “The other thing is when you have guys that are back healthy and you’ve got consistent, every day in and day out, you’re throwing to the same guys, that creates a lot of confidence right there. His accuracy’s been a lot better this fall, a lot better from even the spring and last fall, so just knowing who he has out there and they’re on the same page a lot more than they have been in the past.”

Sixth-year veteran Hunter Johnson echoed Streeter’s sentiments and understands the position that Uiagalelei is in. In fact, Johnson is all too familiar with the adversity Uiagalelei faced last season as he faced some adversity of his own both in his time at Clemson and Northwestern.

“DJ’s obviously a guy who’s been here for a while,” Johnson said. “He’s got the experience and the leadership, and the guys listen to him and trust him. I understand the position; it’s not always bright lights. Things don’t go perfect and that’s football. Just to see the mindset that he has and how well he carries himself and how confident he is. All those guys, they trust him, they listen to him on the field, and you can really tell that this is his team.”

With all the preseason hype surrounding what kind of quarterback we will see out of Uiagalelei this fall, all eyes will be on the California native when the Tigers take the field for the first time on September 5 in a highly televised contest against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Clemson opens up the 2022 season with the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Monday, September 5, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. on ESPN.

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How did the quarterbacks perform in Clemson’s final scrimmage?

Clemson’s quarterbacks weren’t perfect today, but head coach Dabo Swinney was generally pleased with what he saw out of his signal callers in another game-like setting. With the Tigers holding their second and final full-scale scrimmage of preseason …

Clemson’s quarterbacks weren’t perfect today, but head coach Dabo Swinney was generally pleased with what he saw out of his signal callers in another game-like setting.

With the Tigers holding their second and final full-scale scrimmage of preseason camp inside Memorial Stadium, Clemson saved the bulk of the reps for their top three quarterbacks. Hunter Johnson rotated in at times as the Tigers’ No. 3 quarterback, but it was another important evaluation of D.J. Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik on a day when Swinney said the passing game was purposefully emphasized.

“I thought they both did some really good things, and then they both missed a couple of plays, too,” Swinney said.

Swinney didn’t share any statistics from the scrimmage but praised Uiagalelei’s overall execution as well the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder’s mobility. Swinney said Uiagalelei made “a couple of plays with his legs,” adding he’s making the kinds of plays in the running game that he wasn’t capable of making a season when he was roughly 30 pounds heavier.

“D.J., I  thought, played pretty clean procedurally and played pretty clean with his decision-making,” Swinney said. “He had one play he’d like to have back, but procedurally and all of that, he did a good job.”

As for Klubnik, Swinney said the true freshman had “a really nice big play” but also made one critical mistake without getting into specifics. He said Klubnik also held the ball too long at times, once when he took a sack in the red zone. Swinney chalked that up to what he called “purple-jersey syndrome” since Clemson’s quarterbacks aren’t live during scrimmages.

“Once he gets lit up a couple of times, he’ll get rid of it,” Swinney said.

But Swinney is learning to take the good with the bad when it comes to Klubnik’s athleticism at the position, which can also lead to the 6-2, 195-pounder either extending plays or making something out of nothing with his running ability.

“Cade, he’s a problem in the pocket because he’s really, really fast,” Swinney said. “And it’s just awesome because he can really create. It’s good for Clemson, but it’s also good for our defense to see some speed like that because he can really, really run. Thought he made a couple of nice plays with his legs today.”

The defense notched two interceptions that Swinney noted, one by Nate Wiggins and the other by fellow cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. One of them was thrown by Johnson as a result of miscommunication with a receiver, Swinney said.

But Swinney was largely pleased with the limited reps the Northwestern transfer got, too.

“Just him and the receiver not on the same page, but he has been really, really good all camp,” he said. “This is, top to bottom, the best (quarterback) room we’ve had of guys who can go play and win, so I’m really excited about the group.”

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Johnson talks return to Clemson; gives insight on Uiagalelei, Klubnik

When Hunter Johnson arrived back at Clemson, there was a sense of déjà vu. Even as a sixth-year quarterback, Johnson arrived bright-eyed and bushy-tailed like he was a freshman all over again. Speaking with reporters in his first media appearance …

When Hunter Johnson arrived back at Clemson, there was a sense of déjà vu.

Even as a sixth-year quarterback, Johnson arrived bright-eyed and bushy-tailed like he was a freshman all over again. Speaking with reporters in his first media appearance since arriving back in Tiger Town, Johnson compared his first fall practice back at Clemson to the first day of school.

“It’s been fun,” Johnson said. “It is kinda a weird dynamic of being the new guy but also having five years of experience at the college level. It does help that I’m familiar with the area. I’m familiar with the staff. There’s a lot of new faces and names on the team, but for the most part, it’s still the same program, same values and it’s been a good transition.”

While Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is happy to have Johnson back in the fold, it was the veteran signal-caller who reached out to his one-time head coach. After completing his master’s at Northwestern, Johnson was interested in pursuing his MBA and possibly doing so as a graduate assistant on Swinney’s staff.

On a whim, Swinney asked him if he had a sixth year of eligibility remaining.

“I wasn’t sure what the situation looked like here,” Johnson said. “So, it just didn’t even come to mind that he could potentially need another QB.”

Johnson learned a lot during his time at Northwestern, where he played in just 11 games over three seasons, completing 51% of his passes with five touchdown tosses and eight interceptions.

He went through some tough times and battled knee injuries, concussions and many other tough situations during his time in Evanston. Johnson feels like he’s a better player because of the adversity that he faced. He’s matured not only as a football player but as a person as well.

“I grew up a lot at Northwestern,” he said. “I think it was necessary for me as a person, not just as a football player. I just think it’s put me in a completely different mindset this year. Just understanding that it goes by fast. It’s hard to believe I was here five years ago. Now it’s my sixth year and without COVID, I wouldn’t even be here.”

Johnson’s time at Northwestern has given him some perspective and a different appreciation for the game of football. It’s why his presence in Clemson’s quarterback’s room is perfect for the likes of DJ Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik.

“I knew him since he was in high school and he could obviously throw the crap out of when he was in high school too,” Johnson said of Uiagalelei.

“I mean, DJ’s obviously a guy that’s been here awhile,” Johnson continued. “He’s got the experience and he’s got the leadership and the guys listen to him and trust him. I understand the position. It’s not always just bright lights…and things don’t go perfect. That’s football. Just to see the mindset that he has and how well he carries himself and how confident he is. All those guys, they trust him and listen to him on the field. You can really tell that this is his team.”

As for Klubnik, is there anything that’s stood out to Johnson about the true freshman quarterback thus far?

“Just his mentality,” Johnson replied. “He’s a pro. For as young as he is, he’s a pro about his preparation and his mindset. He just doesn’t get too hard on himself. He definitely wants to play well. He’s going out there — he’s having fun. I kind of envy where he’s at and just having that mindset of just jumping all in as a freshman. He’s got a lot of good football in front of him and a really bright future.”

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Back at Clemson for another stint, Swinney says veteran QB is ‘living his best life’

While Hunter Johnson isn’t new to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and his program, it’s sort of a new beginning for the veteran signal-caller. After transferring to Northwestern, where he played in just 11 games over three seasons, completing 51% of his …

While Hunter Johnson isn’t new to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and his program, it’s sort of a new beginning for the veteran signal-caller.

After transferring to Northwestern, where he played in just 11 games over three seasons, completing 51% of his passes with five touchdown tosses and eight interceptions, Johnson is back for his second stint at Clemson.

Swinney has often referred to the sixth-year quarterback as a “boomerang portal guy.”

Clemson’s head coach revealed earlier this offseason that Johnson was originally going to return to the program to work on his MBA while simultaneously serving as a graduate assistant next season before learning Johnson still had his COVID year to use as a player. Johnson’s primary role will be providing some needed depth and experience at the quarterback position.

“It’s been fun watching Hunter,” Clemson’s head coach said Wednesday. “The game is so much slower to him from the last time I had my eyes on him on a football field. He’s a great leader.”

Swinney continued to harp on Johnson’s leadership abilities. He wants to coach and the expectation is that he’ll make that transition after exhausting his final year of eligibility this season. For now, Johnson is obviously focusing on being a player, but Swinney said that he has the characteristics and the knowledge of a future coach.

“He’s just soaking it up, man, “Swinney said. “I think he’s really living his best life right now. He loves Clemson and being back here in a completely different experience and perspective. Life brings perspective as you get older…He’s just very self-aware, very knowledgeable and so confident…He gets it on every level. He’s experienced just about everything at that position. He’s just having fun and taking advantage of his reps. He’s super talented and I think he’s kind of found his joy.”

Swinney was asked about what Johnson’s voice could mean for guys like DJ Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik, but instead made Johnson’s presence into a referendum on Clemson’s quarterback room as a whole.

“It’s valuable to have his voice and his arm and his feet,” Swinney said. “As we all know, that position is critical. We’re just really, really blessed and I mean really fortunate to have the guys that we have because I think they can all play. Obviously those three guys (Johnson, Uiagalelei and Klubnik), but Billy Dimes (Wiles) can play and Hunter (Helms) is smart as crap — knows every detail of everything and is an accurate thrower. All of them can go play and I’m super excited to have Trent (Pearman) joining them, so it’s just a really, really good, functional room.”

“And we have not had that type of functionality, we’ve had to kind of create it here and there, but it makes a big difference,” he added.

Why Clemson has ‘never had a quarterback room like this’ under Swinney

Dabo Swinney has had his fair share of high-profile quarterbacks at Clemson. Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence and Tajh Boyd are among the headliners. Kyle Parker, Chad Kelly (even if it didn’t work out at Clemson), Kelly Bryant and D.J. Uiagalelei …

Dabo Swinney has had his fair share of high-profile quarterbacks at Clemson.

Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence and Tajh Boyd are among the headliners. Kyle Parker, Chad Kelly (even if it didn’t work out at Clemson), Kelly Bryant and D.J. Uiagalelei are some other notable names that have been inside the Tigers’ quarterback room during Swinney’s 14-year tenure as the head coach.

But the collection of talent inside that room heading into the 2022 season, Swinney said, is a notch above the rest.

“We’ve never had a quarterback room like this,” Swinney said.

Start with Uiagalelei, who’s entering his second season as the starter looking for a bounceback year after struggling along with much of the rest of Clemson’s offense a season ago. Not only does the 6-foot-4, big-armed junior have all the ideal physical tools for the position, but Uiagalelei, a former blue-chip prospect, has transformed his body after dropping roughly 30 pounds this offseason.

Behind him is true freshman Cade Klubnik, Swinney’s latest five-star signee at the position who’s waiting in the wings if Uiagalelei’s inconsistencies continue. More of a true dual threat than Uiagalelei, Klubnik impressed this spring and is up to 195 pounds after arriving on campus earlier this year at 179, Swinney said.

“I’m excited about that room, but particularly those two guys, they’ve done everything they need to do to come in as the best version of them,” Swinney said.

Clemson also has a familiar face as the third option entering camp. A former five-star recruit himself, Hunter Johnson is back to finish out his eligibility with the Tigers after spending the last three seasons at Northwestern. It’s been a tough-luck career filled with injuries for Johnson, originally a member of Clemson’s 2017 signing class, but Swinney raved about having the kind of leadership and experience from a sixth-year player that’s rare for many teams to find further down the depth chart.

“I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve had from my players about Hunter Johnson, the type of leader he is and his skill,” Swinney said. “People forget this dude is a heck of a player. He’s had a lot of ups and downs, but he’s a sixth-year veteran who’s been through a lot. What he brings to that room, especially for D.J. and Cade, you don’t have that in many quarterbacks rooms with that level of talent and readiness available.”

As for the rest of the position room, Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles are former walk-ons that Swinney thinks highly enough of that both are now on scholarship. And true freshman Trent Pearman, a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina who threw for more than 6,500 yards and 80 touchdowns at nearby Daniel High, passed on multiple scholarship offers to walk on at Clemson.

“We’ve just got a really good group of functional quarterbacks that we really haven’t had like that,” Swinney said.

The Newcomer Files: Hunter Johnson

Clemson signed 21 players as part of its 2022 recruiting class, some of whom still have yet to make it to campus. Nine signees went through spring practice as early enrollees while the rest, including transfer Hunter Johnson, will arrive on campus …

Clemson signed 21 players as part of its 2022 recruiting class, some of whom still have yet to make it to campus.

Nine signees went through spring practice as early enrollees while the rest, including transfer Hunter Johnson, will arrive on campus this summer. The Clemson Insider is taking a closer look at each newcomer and the likelihood of him contributing immediately this fall based on development and positional need.

TCI previously highlighted Keith Adams Jr., T.J. Dudley, Sherrod Covil Jr., Robert Gunn III and Kylon Griffin. Next up is Johnson.

Position: Quarterback

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 215 pounds

Class: Super senior (one year of eligibility remaining)

Previous school: Northwestern

Early enrollee? No

The skinny: Johnson isn’t new at all to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and his program. The veteran signal caller is back for his second stint at Clemson after a college career that hasn’t gone quite the way the former five-star recruit had planned. Initially part of Clemson’s 2017 recruiting class, Johnson transferred after that season once the Tigers had both Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence, then an incoming freshman, on the roster. But Johnson played in just 11 games over three seasons at Northwestern, completing 51% of his passes with five touchdown tosses and eight interceptions. For his career, Johnson has completed 116 of 210 passes for 1,090 yards and seven touchdowns.

Swinney revealed Johnson was originally going to return to the program to work on his MBA while simultaneously serving as a graduate assistant next season before learning Johnson still had his COVID year to use as a player. Johnson’s primary role this fall will be mentoring incumbent D.J. Uiagalelei, blue-chip freshman Cade Klubnik and the rest of the quarterbacks while also providing some needed depth and experience at the position. Johnson, who will compete with former walk-ons Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart, is one of just three quarterbacks on the roster that has played more than one game in college.

An important date on the recruiting calendar

The recruiting calendar has reached an important date when it comes to the eligibility of certain football and basketball student-athletes. Athletes playing fall and winter sports that intend to enter the transfer portal must give their current …

The recruiting calendar has reached an important date when it comes to the eligibility of certain football and basketball student-athletes.

Athletes playing fall and winter sports that intend to enter the transfer portal must give their current schools notice of that decision by the end of today. That is, if they want to be immediately eligible at their next institution.

When the NCAA adopted a policy last year allowing athletes to transfer once during their careers without having to sit out a year at their new school, a deadline stipulation came along with it. May 1 is the deadline for fall- and winter-sport athletes to transfer and be immediately eligible while July 1 is the cutoff date for spring-sport athletes.

If athletes reveal their intentions to transfer once those dates have passed, they will have to sit out a year before competing for their new schools unless granted a waiver allowing immediate eligibility.

Clemson’s football and basketball programs have been active in the transfer portal. Former Northwestern quarterback Hunter Johnson, a one-time Clemson signee, is returning to the Tigers’ program to complete his eligibility next season while the men’s basketball team recently got a commitment from former College of Charleston and Boston College guard Brevin Galloway.

Clemson also got a signature from former Princeton combo guard Jaelin Llewellyn before he recently backed off that commitment. Llewellyn has since committed to Michigan.

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Tigers take a tumble in ESPN’s future quarterback power rankings

On Thursday, ESPN released its quarterback future power rankings for college football (subscription required). The list projects the top 25 quarterback situations for the next three seasons (2022, 2023 and 2024) and is based on the QBs currently on …

On Thursday, ESPN released its quarterback future power rankings for college football (subscription required).

The list projects the top 25 quarterback situations for the next three seasons (2022, 2023 and 2024) and is based on the QBs currently on each roster, while also considering other factors such as returning starters, recruiting, depth, coaching and the potential for players to enter the NFL draft early/enter the transfer portal.

In ESPN’s future QB power rankings, Clemson is now ranked No. 17, a significant tumble from where the Tigers were a year ago in the same rankings at No. 2.

Here is ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg’s reasoning for where he ranked Clemson:

Clemson was going to drop in the rankings after a season in which it did not reach the CFP or produce anywhere near normal levels at quarterback. I can’t remember an elite program that returns both its head coach and starting quarterback, and faces as many question marks as Clemson does in 2022. … (Quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Brandon) Streeter will try to engineer improvement with Uiagalelei, who looked good in limited action as a freshman but threw more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (9) last season and finished 97th nationally in total QBR (43.2). Uiagalelei has size, arm strength and a slimmed-down frame, but must recapture his confidence to lead a unit with fewer assurances than usual.

If Uiagalelei stagnates or regresses, expect Clemson to go with Cade Klubnik, ESPN’s top-ranked dual-threat quarterback and No. 28 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class. The Austin, Texas, native made an impression early in spring practice and could give Clemson the playmaking boost it needs at the position. Clemson also regains graduate transfer Hunter Johnson, an ESPN top-25 recruit who started his career with the Tigers before several disappointing seasons at Northwestern.

The top 10 in ESPN’s future QB power rankings, in order from Nos. 1-10, are Ohio State, Southern Cal, Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Texas, NC State and Michigan.

Besides Clemson, Miami and NC State, Wake Forest (No. 23) is the only other ACC team in the rankings.

South Carolina is ranked right behind the Tigers at No. 18.

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How Hunter Johnson ultimately landed back in Clemson’s QB room

Hunter Johnson will finish his college football career with one last season at Clemson, something Clemson coach Dabo Swinney didn’t know was possible when initially speaking to the Tigers’ newest quarterback about returning to the program. In …

Hunter Johnson will finish his college football career with one last season at Clemson, something Clemson coach Dabo Swinney didn’t know was possible when initially speaking to the Tigers’ newest quarterback about returning to the program.

In describing how the idea of Johnson returning to Clemson came about, Swinney recently said the two have stayed in contact even after Johnson left after his freshman season to play at Northwestern. But when Johnson called Swinney after this past season to discuss coming back to the program, Swinney said it was in a coaching capacity.

“He’s wanting to know if he could help coach and be a student intern or helper while he’s getting his MBA,” Swinney recalled of their phone conversation. “And of course I’m like, ‘Heck yeah. You kidding me? That’d be awesome.’”

That’s when Swinney said Johnson informed him he actually had one more year of eligibility remaining, which came as a surprise to Swinney. After playing his freshman season at Clemson in 2017, Johnson sat out his first year at Northwestern to satisfy transfer rules in place at the time. He then played three seasons for the Wildcats, accounting for 898 yards of offense in 11 games during that time.

“I just literally kind of was kidding with him,” Swinney said. “I was like, ‘Hey, you better watch out. We might have to pull a Zeb Nolan and throw you in the game.’”

The reference was to South Carolina quarterback Zeb Nolan, who joined the Gamecocks’ program this past season initially as a graduate assistant coach after playing five seasons at Iowa State and North Dakota State. Injuries at the position left first-year coach Shane Beamer with no choice but to add Nolan to the roster and play him in a few games.

Johnson reminded Swinney of his COVID year, an additional year of eligibility granted to all fall-sport athletes by the NCAA in response to the first year of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States in 2020. It’s what Johnson will use to suit up with the rest of Clemson’s quarterbacks next season instead of helping coach them.

“I started thinking, I was like, ‘Holy cow. That is crazy,’” Swinney said. “So that’s how we kind of got to that point, and it worked out. He’s excited about it.”

Whether or not Johnson actually gets in a game during his second go-round with the Tigers remains to be seen, but Swinney said Johnson understands he’s returning to largely provide experienced depth behind incumbent D.J. Uiagalelei and five-star signee Cade Klubnik, who could find themselves in competition for the starting job beginning this spring.

“He’s just an awesome young man. He’s very mature,” Swinney said of Johnson. “He’ll work as hard as anybody, and he’ll be as prepared as anybody. It’s very rare that you’re going to find somebody that will come in here with that type of mindset. So it’s exciting. I think he’s going to be great for D.J. and for Cade from a leadership standpoint.”

With Taisun Phommachanh in the transfer portal, former walk-ons Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles are Clemson’s only other quarterbacks back from last season that have played in a college game. Between his time at Clemson and Northwestern, Johnson has appeared in 18 games.

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