Former Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik is turning heads in New York Jets camp.
Heading into last season, Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik was viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That followed a tremendous 2024 campaign in which Klubnik threw for 36 touchdowns, establishing himself as one of the best signal-callers in the country.
Unfortunately, Klubnik regressed considerably during his final season at Clemson, and his draft stock plummeted because of it.
The New York Jets ended up selecting Klubnik in the fourth round this past April, a steep drop from Klubnik's initial projections last fall.
But while the 22-year-old may not have been an early pick, he still has a great chance of starting for the Jets at some point this coming season, and he is already turning heads in training camp.
When asked about Klubnik, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was clearly impressed.
New York Jets quarterback Cade Klubnik. Credit: USA TODAY Network."He made some throws today, didn't he?" Glenn said. "... We know the hills that he's had in his college career. And that's the thing that we're intrigued by him, because he was able to bounce back and continue to go. To me, that shows leadership, too. When things went down, he continued to go.”
Klubnik is currently battling with Geno Smith for the starting quarterback job in New York.
The general expectation is that Smith will be the Jets' Week 1 starter, but that eventually, Klubnik will supplant him at some point during the season.
It's important to note that New York owns three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, one that is expected to be loaded with quarterback talent. So there is certainly pressure on Klubnik to deliver right off the bat in 2026.
In his final year at Clemson in 2025, Klubnik threw for 2,943 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 65.6 percent of his passes.
The 6-foot-2, 207-pound youngster has a solid arm and good athleticism, so he absolutely has the traits needed to start somewhere in the NFL.
Whether or not he becomes the Jets' quarterback of the future remains to be seen, but he will almost certainly get a chance this year.
We'll see if Klubnik can make New York forget about next April's quarterback class.
