NFL.com analyst and former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah takes a "first look" at some of college football's top quarterbacks for 2025. This is the third entry in a series of scouting reports running in June and July.
A five-star recruit out of Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, Cade Klubnik enrolled early at Clemson and spent most of his true freshman campaign as the Tigers' backup quarterback. But early in that season's ACC Championship Game, Klubnik replaced DJ Uiagalelei and flourished, leading the Tigers to a blowout win over Drake Maye-led North Carolina and ultimately sending Uiagalelei to the transfer portal.
Klubnik entered his sophomore year with plenty of hype, but the quarterback underwhelmed -- and Clemson finished at 9-4, snapping a program streak of 12 straight seasons with double-digit wins. As a junior this past fall, though, Klubnik flipped the script, ranking 10th in the nation with 3,639 passing yards and third with 36 passing touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions. The athletic signal-caller showed off his legs, too, rushing for 463 yards and seven scores. Clemson won the ACC and made the College Football Playoff, ultimately finishing with a 10-4 record.
Heading into his senior season with top-five rankings in numerous Clemson passing statistics, Klubnik is back on the rise as a ballyhooed prospect. Will he build off a breakout campaign to position himself as one of the top quarterbacks available in the 2026 NFL Draft? After breaking down Klubnik's game tape from last year, here is my initial scouting report.
Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 210 pounds (school measurements).
2024 statistics (14 games): 308-of-486 (63.4%) for 3,639 yards (7.5 per attempt) and 36 TDs with 6 INTs; 119 carries for 463 yards (3.9 average) and 7 TDs.
Game tape watched: at Pittsburgh (Nov. 16, 2024), vs. SMU (ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, N.C.; Dec. 7, 2024), at Texas (College Football Playoff; Dec. 21, 2024).
What I liked: Klubnik is an excellent athlete with quick hands and feet. In the RPO game, he sees the field clearly and his operation time is excellent. He pulls the ball from the running back and delivers it outside in one motion. Furthermore, he is an excellent touch thrower. He anticipates well and throws a soft, catchable ball. He excels on fades, both to the slot and the outside receivers.
Klubnik uses his athleticism to escape and create plays with his arm and legs. His mobility allows the offense to move the pocket on rollouts and he can deliver the ball accurately when moving right or left. He has popped a few long runs on designed QB rushes (SEE: game-winner vs. Pitt), and I love his toughness to fight for extra yards.
Where he needs to improve: I'd like to see Klubnik add some weight and power. In the spring, scouts weighed him at 204 pounds, and there are times when he looks flimsy in the pocket. He lacks the lower-body strength to shrug off pass rushers and goes down too easily. He flashes the ability to slide around inside the pocket, but he struggles to consistently find open throwing lanes.
The Clemson passer doesn't have an overpowering arm and that leads to some shrinking windows on drive throws. If Klubnik can get into his legs more on delivery, I believe he can discover more velocity as a passer. And if he can add that element to his game, it will drastically improve his value.
Biggest takeaway: If you look at the career of Klubnik, he has shown great improvement. Clemson should have a loaded squad this year, and the quarterback is set up to have a monster campaign. The ACC isn't on the same level as the Big Ten and SEC, but the Tigers' 2025 slate is bookended by quality SEC opponents: LSU in a highly anticipated opener and South Carolina in the regular-season finale. I can't wait to see how he performs against those two opponents. Clemson should be a national title contender, and if Klubnik can take the next step as a player, he'll generate significant draft buzz.
He reminds me of: I spent a lot of time combing through old reports to find a comp for Klubnik. I couldn't find one that stood out as an ideal match, but his notes read similar to the ones I made for Ryan Tannehill when he was coming out of Texas A&M. Obviously, Tannehill is much bigger, and I thought his arm strength was better than Klubnik's is at this point in time. However, both guys are very athletic, possessing ideal quickness and the ability to create plays. They both throw with touch and timing and excel on loft passes down the field. Tannehill carved out a solid, decade-plus career, making the Pro Bowl in 2019. Klubnik has areas where he needs to continue to improve, but he has the upside to follow a similar NFL path.
Numbers to know: Klubnik ranked fifth in the FBS last season with 28 big-time throws -- a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window -- per PFF. He trailed only Kyle McCord, Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart (all 2025 NFL Draft picks, with Ward and Dart being the first two QBs taken) and Seth Henigan in the category. Now, to be clear, not all tight-window throws are created equal. Sometimes, it's a credit to the defense, but other times, it's on the quarterback for not getting the ball where it needed to be on time. There are some of each in Klubnik's tape.
