Cade Klubnik’s 2025 Season Will Answer the One Question NFL Scouts Keep Asking

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jeremy Lockett | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 11:46 AM ET

Cade Klubnik is coming off a massive 2024 season, silencing plenty of critics with 3,639 yards and 36 touchdown passes. But as 2025 kicks off, the Clemson quarterback isn’t running from the pressure — he’s embracing it.

“I wasn’t very good my sophomore year, but I just stuck with it,” Klubnik recently said. “What Clemson’s done with me is develop me… I’m still not where I want to be, but I’m hoping to take another step.”

He’ll need to — not just for the Tigers’ playoff hopes, but to win over skeptical NFL scouts still debating how high his ceiling really is.

Both ESPN and The Athletic have Klubnik near the top of early 2026 NFL Draft boards, but questions remain. ESPN’s Jordan Reid reports that NFL evaluators are concerned with Klubnik’s arm strength and ability to drive the ball into tight windows — areas that can separate a first-rounder from a franchise cornerstone.

But there’s another side to the story: few quarterbacks in college football made a bigger leap last year. Klubnik showed command of Garrett Riley’s Air Raid offense, started layering throws at all three levels, and finally began using his legs — logging multiple explosive scrambles that added a dual-threat dimension to his game. According to The Athletic, he finished with 16 completions of 30+ air yards and regularly flashed elite-level talent.

Even so, the book isn’t finished. Klubnik still needs to prove he can stay poised in the pocket and work through full-field progressions. But with his top three receivers returning and another year under Riley, the pieces are in place.

The criticism may still be loud, but so is the confidence. Now it’s up to Klubnik to show 2024 wasn’t the peak — it was just the turning point.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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