Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik has received a major NFL Draft update.
Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik entered the 2025 college football season hoping to establish himself as a potential top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In fact, there some who felt Klubnik could be the first signal-caller off the board this coming April.
However, Klubnik endured an incredibly disappointing rookie campaign, finishing with 2,943 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for just 94 yards and four scores.
His draft stock plummeted as a result, and now, the general consensus is that Klubnik will be a Day 3 pick this spring.
However, Klubnik's performance at the East-West Shrine Bowl practice may have helped him quite a bit, with AJ Schulte of A to Z Sports naming him as one of the players who most improved his draft status with his showing.
"Clemson’s Cade Klubnik entered the week as the clear top quarterback at the Shrine Bowl, and he delivered," Schulte wrote. "Klubnik consistently had the best zip on the ball and outshone the rest of the competition in practice. While I don’t think he put out a performance that shifted my perspective of him, he did affirm he was the best quarterback here-and likely at any of the All-Star games."
Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik. Credit: Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Klubnik departed before participating in the actual Shrine Bowl game itself, but apparently, he felt he did enough at practice to showcase his skills.
The 22-year-old spent four years at Clemson, arriving in 2022 and becoming a full-time starting quarterback as soon as his sophomore campaign.
Klubnik had a breakout season in 2024, throwing for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns and six picks while also racking up 463 yards and seven scores on the ground.
That placed him on the map as a top NFL prospect, and had Klubnik entered the draft last year, he may have been a top-five pick.
Instead, the Austin, Tx. native elected to go back to school, which ended up being a mistake in the long run.
That being said, Klubnik still has an outside chance of becoming a starting quarterback on the professional level, and who knows? Maybe an NFL team will take a chance on him on Day 2 of the draft in a few months.
A great Scouting Combine would definitely help Klubnik's cause.
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