Why is Clemson football QB Cade Klubnik playing in the Pinstripe Bowl?

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Clemson football will be without four players with NFL Draft hopes that will miss the Tigers’ Pinstripe Bowl matchup against Penn State at Yankee Stadium.

One of the players who won’t be absent from the game is Cade Klubnik, who entered the year as the nation’s top quarterback according to NFL Draft analysts such as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.

Speaking after practice on Wednesday, Klubnik was asked by reporters why he chose to play when teammates like defensive linemen T.J. Parker, Peter Woods and DeMonte Capehart, and cornerback Avieon Terrell all opted out.

“I think I can help myself,” Klubnik said. “It’s another game I get to go play and go help myself for what’s next. I love football and I just — I just don’t think (opting out) is something I would ever do, to be honest.”

Klubnik came into the 2025 season with sky-high expectations following a stellar junior season in which he threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns to only six interceptions.

This season, he’s dealt with a sprained ankle suffered in the Tigers’ 41-10 win at Boston College on Oct. 11. That caused him to miss a pivotal conference game against SMU the following week, a 35-24 loss to the Mustangs.

In Clemson‘s 28-14 win at South Carolina to close the regular season, Klubnik suffered a thumb injury on his throwing hand while completing 24 of 39 passes for 268 yards. He closed the regular season with 2,750 passing yards and 16 touchdowns to six interceptions.

Klubnik said he had no issues with any of his teammates who chose to opt out with similar NFL Draft hopes.

“I’ve got a ton of respect for all the guys that aren’t playing, or just choosing to make the decision that they made. I love those dudes. I’m going to be cheering them on forever. They’re my teammates and my brothers forever. I’m going to be cheering louder than anybody when draft day comes, and I know they’re going to be cheering us on next Saturday.”

For Klubnik, it comes back to wanting to play one more game.

“I just really want to play. I’ve been through a lot this year. As y’all know, just fighting a lot of injuries and just straining to get to Saturday. That’s my mentality that I’ve had this year. Maybe not being able to practice on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, limping through Thursday and giving everything I have, whether it was 60 percent or 70 percent of what I had to go play on Saturday.

“Now, I’ve got almost a month to heal up. I get to go play with some of my best friends one more time. I just want to play another game. There wasn’t even a question for me of whether I was going to. I think I even said it before the South Carolina game when somebody asked.”

Asked whether there was any thought of getting other quarterbacks on the Tigers’ depth chart like backups Christopher Vizzina and Chris Denson into Clemson’s matchup against Penn State, coach Dabo Swinney had a succinct answer at his Monday press conference:

“We’re just trying to win the game,” Swinney siad. “That’s all we’re going to do. Just trying to get an eighth win. Whatever we’ve got to do to win.”

When is Clemson football vs Penn State matchup in 2025 Pinstripe Bowl?

Kickoff for Clemson-Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium is noon ET on Dec. 27. The game will be televised on ABC.

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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football QB Cade Klubnik explains decision to play bowl game

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