Dabo Swinney says Cade Klubnik is playing at an elite level

Cade Klubnik is showing himself to be an elite QB this season.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Tuesday, October 15 2024

Within the locker room in Atlanta late August, Cade Klubnik made a promise to his team.

Come that next Monday, he’d bring everything he had to ensure results that occurred on the field against the Bulldogs wouldn’t happen again.

Five games later, he’s certainly been true to his word.

Klubnik and the Clemson offense have taken the college football world by storm since those dreary three points in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Even with that game factored in, the offense has averaged 41 points per game, which is suitable for the 12th-best scoring unit in the country.

Clemson’s offense went from a car with its engine on life support to trading it in for a flashy convertible.

The man behind the wheel has a lot to do with that.

Klubnik’s ascension has gone from having questions about whether he could take the Tigers back to the playoffs to some wondering if he could end up as a Heisman finalist in New York. The one thing that has remained constant throughout Klubnik’s career is his head coach’s belief that this would always be the inevitable product.

Dabo Swinney has been Klubnik’s greatest supporter, always looking for the positives in his quarterback’s development. Swinney caught some grief while praising Klubnik, but it seems he was proven absolutely correct.

In his mind, there’s no doubt his quarterback is playing at an elite level.

“Yeah, no question,” Swinney said. “I mean, it's only six games, but there's no doubt. I mean, he's playing at an elite level, and that's probably, I haven't looked at everybody's statistics, but I would say he's probably right there with the best of the best in the country in just about anything, I guess. So I think that's elite, but he'd be the first one to tell you there's still a lot of room for improvement. There's more there. And he's still a developing player, and I'm just really proud of him. I mean, he's, again, from the first time he got here and to where he is now, this is what you expect.

"And a great player and a guy that has the tools that he has. I mean, he's just grown. He's been very coachable. He's grown through some success and setbacks and failures, and he's just got a lot of confidence, and he really understands all aspects of the game.”

Even Klubnik himself will tell you that the failures of 2023 were the best things that could have happened to him. It certainly lit a fire in the former Westlake star, who used it as fuel for an offseason of training.

Looking at Klubnik’s numbers from last year, he threw for 19 touchdowns to nine picks, completing 63.9 percent of his throws. He also ran for 182 yards and four scores.

Six games into 2024, he’s thrown for 17 touchdowns to just two interceptions, completing 66.8 percent of his passes. Klubnik has also run for 198 yards and four end zone trips.

Swinney has seen the growth and hopes his quarterback can tap into another level. Regardless, he still feels Klubnik is playing like one of the best in the country at his position.

“He's using all of his tools, and when he makes a bad play, it doesn't carry over,” Swinney said. "He moves on. And then again, guys are making plays for him, too, so it's fun to see it come together, proud of all those guys. Got a run game supporting him too, and he's just really doing a nice job for us. But I don't think there's any question if you just, I mean, again, from my perspective, there's more there, and he'll tell you the same thing in how we see things from a detailed standpoint on what we know we still can do.

"But comparatively to probably everybody in the country, I would say he's right there with the best of the best. And again, y'all probably know more than me, but I would find it hard to believe that there are many guys ahead of where he is as far as what he's done in six games.”

Klubnik entered the week tied for fourth in Heisman trophy odds, according to FanDuel. With Virginia on the horizon, it will be another opportunity to build on an already impressive resume.

Still, Klubnik keeps the 2023 season as a reminder of how quickly things can go sideways. Maybe even now, it serves as fresh motivation when he needs it most.

He’s still holding to his promise from Atlanta and hopes he can make good on his word by playing to a level that gets them back there in January.