Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik has found an NFL home, but one analyst feels that he has a major flaw that could hold him back.
Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik had dreams of being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, or at least a first-round selection.
Neither of those things happened, as Klubnik slipped all the way to Day 3, where he was taken by the New York Jets in the fourth round.
That was actually a bit earlier than some expected for Klubnik, and the Jets did trade up 18 spots to land him, so clearly, they saw something they liked in the former Clemson star.
But what exactly happened to Klubnik? Why did his draft stock plummet?
Well, after a brilliant season in 2024, the 22-year-old fell off a cliff during his final collegiate campaign, failing to even throw for 3,000 yards while totaling just 16 touchdown passes. He also managed a measly 94 yards rushing.
Klubnik did battle some injuries throughout the season, but it was clear that he wasn't the same player from the year prior, and ESPN's Louis Riddick has identified what he feels is the signal-caller's most prominent flaw.
Cade Klubnik. Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images."It’s just at those crucial moments, the coaching staff and this football team overall, were just not able to get over the hump, and there would always be a miscommunication, an untimely turnover, an untimely missed read, to where they just weren’t able to get out of him what they thought they were going to get out of him when he took over a few years ago," Riddick said.
Klubnik was a former five-star recruit who arrived at Clemson with massive fanfare, and while he was a good quarterback for most of his time with the Tigers, there is no question he was a bit disappointing overall, particularly in 2025.
Clemson entered the year hoping to contend for a national championship. Instead, the Tigers went just 7-6 and lost to the even more underwhelming Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Of course, Klubnik was far from the only reason for Clemson's demise. The Tigers' top players pretty much had disappointing seasons across the board, and it ended up being contagious.
But perhaps a change of scenery will largely benefit Klubnik, who obviously has talent and should have a chance to start for the Jets — who are currently employing the aging, declining Geno Smith under center — at some point in 2026.
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