Clemson starting quarterback Cade Klubnik had his moments in 2023 but the sophomore quarterback still has a way to go if the Tigers want to compete for a National Championship in 2024.
From what I’ve seen, I fully believe that Klubnik has the pure talent to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football. The thing is, talent can only take you so far. Klubnik has a lot to work on this offseason for the Tigers to be in their best position to succeed. Here’s a few of those things I’ve honed in on.
Obviously, your body size can effect how big you can really get, but Klubnik needs to put on some weight. He’s still just a bit too small and some extra weight will help him in the pocket and outside of it when he needs to shake off a pass rusher.
Another area I would like to see Klubnik improve in is his footwork. He has solid footwork and mechanics more often than not, but there are far too many times where the talented quarterback ends up throwing off his back foot. What may seem small to some can actually be a huge issue. This was my biggest issue with DJ Uiagalelei during his time at Clemson so I’m hoping this coaching staff can identify the issue and work on it. It’s not nearly as bad as DJ’s was, but these are the things you need to hone to become a better quarterback.
Lastly, the thing Klubnik should be working on the most this offseason is decision-making. His biggest issue far and away this season revolved around processing reads and making the right call. A good quarterback friend of mine once told me 90% of the position is mental, and I couldn’t agree more. Klubnik has all the tools to absolutely ball out, but he really needs to work on the mental side of the game because there were way too many head-scratching moments.
I want to emphasize here that Klubnik gets a lot of heat for a lot of things that are more out of his control than you’d realize. The offensive line did him no favors this season, and the coaching staff did not do him many favors on the mental side of this game.
If Cade Klubnik can sure these things up this offseason, Clemson is going to have a stud under center.