Why Cade Klubnik has no regrets about Clemson football career filled with highs and lows
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CLEMSON — Quarterback Cade Klubnik will take the field one final time for Clemson football in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Clemson (7-5) faces Penn State (6-6) on Dec. 27 (noon ET, ABC) at Yankee Stadium in New York.
Klubnik’s career had its ups and downs with the highs including leading the Tigers to ACC titles in 2022 and 2024 and helping Clemson make the College Football Playoff in 2024. The lows, though, include missing the conference title game and CFP in 2023 and this season and being the only starting quarterback in coach Dabo Swinney’s 17 full seasons who has lost at least four games in multiple seasons.
Still, Klubnik has no regrets on how his career unfolded.
“I’ve grown so much in my walk because of what I’ve had to go through, and there’s so many plays and a lot of games that I want back,” Klubnik said Dec. 17. “But, being able to, kind of, walk through that and not have many people to lean on, at times, really made me just kind of lean in my walk and made me grow in that sense.”
After replacing DJ Uiagalelei late in the 2022 season, Clemson and Tigers fans hoped Klubnik, a former five-star recruit, would have immediate success as a full-time starter like Deshaun Watson (2014-16) and Trevor Lawrence (2018-20), both of whom led the Tigers to national championship victories.
But Klubnik faced adversity in his first season as a starter with Clemson having a 4-4 record to start 2023. Fans called for Swinney to bench Klubnik, who was afraid to leave his house because of the start, or find another option in the transfer portal.
Swinney didn’t budge though, instilling confidence into Klubnik, who helped Clemson win its final five games hat season. That momentum carried into 2024 as Clemson averaged 34.7 points to win the ACC and make the CFP for the first time since 2020.
Still, criticism came Klubnik’s way again this year with fans wanting him benched after the Tigers started this season 1-3, which dashed their CFP hopes. It was a disappointing showing despite him being a preseason Heisman contender and Clemson being a popular pick to make the national championship.
“At the school that I’m at, in this type of environment, it’s definitely not always easy,” Klubnik said. “But, I would much rather be at a school with high expectations than the other way around.”
Klubnik also faced significant injuries for the first time this year, battling an ankle sprain and quad contusion. The ankle sprain caused him to miss his first career game against SMU in Week 8 because of injury, and the quad limited his mobility in the final month of the year. He has a thumb injury entering the Pinstripe Bowl but will play through it, too.
He could focus on getting healthy for the 2026 NFL Draft, but he is committed to playing in the Pinstripe Bowl. A strong performance can raise his draft stock. Swinney agreed, saying the forecasted temperature of 38 degrees with 13 mph winds are perfect conditions to see if Klubnik can handle rougher temperatures like many pro quarterbacks have to handle.
“Just check the weather reports at the NFL stadiums (on) Sunday,” Swinney said Dec. 15. “…. ‘All right, Klubnik. You want to play quarterback? Check out what the weather’s in New York.'”
Not only will it be Klubnik’s final chance to give Clemson momentum heading into 2026 with a five-game win streak, but it will be his final time in college playing with his teammates, some of whom were in his same recruiting class like running back Adam Randall and right tackle Blake Miller.
“I do think it’s going to be huge and that’s what I’m continually fighting for and really want to strain to get that finish for those guys really coming back, but also just finish well in my career and the guys that are done after this one,” Klubnik said
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson QB Cade Klubnik has no regrets about up-and-down career
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