Clemson Legend Cade Klubnik Just Changed the Game for His NFL Team

Former Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik made his NFL preseason debut for the New York Jets on Friday night, going 5-for-7 with 56 yards while leading the Jets to 10 points on two drives.

Not bad for a fourth-round rookie, huh?

Obviously, we can't get too high on Klubnik after just a couple of series in an exhibition game, but the Clemson product made a very clear statement on Friday evening: he should be New York's starting quarterback.

I understand that Geno Smith — who was sidelined for the preseason opener due to foot soreness — will open up the regular season under center. The Jets don't want to throw Klubnik into the fire from the jump, and let's be real: head coach Aaron Glenn is fighting to keep his job.

I get all of that.

But with New York owning three first-round picks in what is supposed to be a quarterback-heavy draft in 2027, shouldn't the Jets want to see as much of Klubnik as possible this fall to see if maybe, just maybe, he could be their signal-caller of the future?

Tigers fans know the story with Klubnik.

The 22-year-old arrived at Clemson with much fanfare as a five-star recruit in 2022, but did not become a full-time starter until his second season.

By 2023, Klubnik put himself on the map as an elite NFL prospect after racking up 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns through the air while also rushing for 463 yards and seven scores.

Had Klubnik declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, he probably would have been a top-10 pick, but he decided to return to school for another year.

While admirable, that proved to be a costly decision, as Klubnik labored through a brutal senior campaign in which he finished with under 3,000 yards passing and just 16 touchdowns, adding a measly 94 rushing yards while punching in four rushing scores.

That caused Klubnik's draft stock to plummet, and he went from being viewed as a potential No. 1 overall selection to a Day 3 dart throw.

New York decided to take a chance on Klubnik by trading up to acquire him in Round 4, and the fact that the Jets parted with capital to acquire him proved that they must have felt pretty good about the 6-foot-2 prospect.

We know Klubnik has talent. That was on full display in 2024. But his shaky processing speed and lack of truly elite arm strength — not to mention his penchant for making rash decisions — have all served as significant drawbacks for the Austin, Tx. native.

Still, Klubnik has enough ability where the Jets should give him a real shot to win their starting quarterback job moving forward, and in his New York debut, his showing certainly should have made Gang Green think about the future.