Clemson QB Cade Klubnik Lands New Compelling NFL Draft Prediction

Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik certainly did not have the type of season he wanted in 2025.

Klubnik opted to return to school for one more year after a brilliant 2024 campaign in which he threw for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns and six interceptions while also racking up 463 yards and seven scores on the ground.

The 22-year-old was viewed by many as a potential No. 1 pick contender for the 2026 NFL Draft as he entered his senior year at Clemson, but instead, Klubnik's decision to head back to college for an extra season completely backfired.

Klubnik finished with 2,943 yards, 16 touchdowns and six picks in 2025, managing just 94 yards and four scores as a rusher.

The result? Klubnik has totally fallen out of contention to be a first-round selection, and most seem to think he will end up slipping all the way to Day 3 this April.

Alec Elijah of Pro Football Network has the same thoughts, but he has connected Klubnik to a very intriguing landing spot: the Houston Texans.

In his latest seven-round mock draft, Elijah has Klubnik being selected by the Texans with the 165th overall pick, which is certainly interesting given how much C.J. Stroud has struggled the last couple of years.

There have been some whispers that Houston could look to move on from Stroud at some point in the near future, and if Klubnik ends up landing in H-Town, he could potentially be a candidate to usurp Stroud as the starter down the line.

While Klubnik was a big disappointment in 2025, it's clear that he still has NFL potential. He isn't elite in any one particular area, but he is at least decent all around, and his performance in 2024 may not have been a mirage.

There are surely a host of NFL teams that would feel compelled to add Klubnik as a backup with the chance of potentially starting. The Texans could very well be one of those teams.

Klubnik will likely fall somewhere between the fourth and seventh rounds this spring with an outside possibility that he lands in Round 3. But he may very well get a chance to compete for a starting job sooner than most assume.

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