Clemson Position 360: Quarterback

With a new offensive line coach and an improved WR corps, Klubnik should find better support around him than a year ago.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Jul 24, 2024, 11:30 AM

This offseason, we’ll give you a full 360-degree view of each position group, evaluating how they performed last season, who they lost and gained, and what to expect in 2024. After discussing wide receivers, we now look at the other half of the passing game equation: quarterback.

2023 Performance

Cade Klubnik started all 13 games for Clemson and finished with 2,844 passing yards, 19 passing TDs, nine interceptions, and ten fumbles (5 lost). That was good for the third in the ACC in yards and fifth in TDs. That doesn’t seem too shabby until you realize he led all ACC QBs in pass attempts. Yes, Klubnik had more pass attempts than Drake Maye (UNC). The thing was, most of his passes were rather short. He averaged just 6.3 yards per pass attempt, the second worst in the ACC among players with 100+ pass attempts.

Fumbles and crunch-time decision-making were also major issues. Plays like the fourth-down slide against Duke, pass with inches to go against Florida State, and QB run on a hand-off call vs. Miami remain memorable. Still, at times, we saw the kind of talent that made Klubnik excel as a star QB in the reputable high-level Texas high school ranks and become a five-star prospect. There were moments against FSU and Syracuse early and Kentucky late that made you think he could still be special. It just hasn’t happened quite yet.

There was not a ton of trusted depth behind Klubnik to really push him last season. Christopher Vizzina needed more time to be ready as a true freshman and redshirted. Paul Tyson, a rare Clemson transfer, got banged up early and never contributed meaningful snaps on the field. Hunter Helms ended up being the second-string quarterback, and although he looked capable of performing on limited duty, his 12 pass attempts during the season underscored just how limited that duty was.

Departures & Additions

Helms transferred to Rhode Island. Redshirt sophomore Trent Pearman rises into relevancy as a back-up.

2024 Expectations

In 2020, elite quarterback play carried Clemson to the playoffs. The Tigers have not enjoyed such play from the position since. With DJ Uiagalelei, the offensive line and wide receivers always struggled, making it hard to pin the woes of the passing game solely on him. Still, some of his deficiencies (namely inaccuracy and poor pocket presence) were clear. The same can be said for Klubnik, who needs to make better decisions faster.

With a new offensive line coach and an improved WR corps, Klubnik should find better support around him than a year ago. The game-winning drive in the Gator Bowl against Kentucky certainly is reason for optimism. Undoubtedly, he has it in him; something just has to click.

A slow launch into 2024 would probably be preferable, but alas, the Georgia Bulldogs come calling (barking?) first. We’ll quickly learn if Klubnik has taken the steps necessary make Clemson a serious threat to win a playoff game (or several).

Behind him, Vizzina and Pearman are backups. I loved Vizzina’s high school tape, but he has struggled severely in two Spring Games, while Pearman was outstanding in his showcase this April. It is probably unwise to put much stock into those showings, but I was very impressed and could see Pearman pushing Vizzina for that second-string role. In a recent interview, offensive coordinator Garrett Riley confirmed that the second-string role would be a competition.