Past Shortcomings Fueling Klubnik, Tigers in 2025

For every season that Cade Klubnik has been starting quarterback of the Clemson Tigers, he says that he’s been a part of a younger squad than others. 

Now, in his senior season, the pieces have all come together for Klubnik, and one of the best words he describes it as is simple: fun. 

“It’s fun. I feel like every year I’ve been here, we’ve just been a very young team, a team that just [says] we’ve got to get things going, just kind of resetting every spring with new guys coming in,” Klubnik said on Thursday. “I think this year, the ball is already rolling, and we are taking off from where we were last year.”

Klubnik spoke on the ACC Huddle following Clemson’s media availability at ACC Kickoff, speaking about what to expect from the team’s offense. However, while talent is across the chart for the Tigers, the Austin, Texas, native describes the leadership as being the quality that will help the team go far. 

The team returned 80 percent of its production, the best in the country, allowing for a large number of leaders who have risen from each position. 

“The leadership on this team is very special,” Klubnik said. “It comes to experience, obviously talent is the first thing you think of, but I think of leadership, and these guys have been to places that are not necessarily comfortable.”

A lot of this uncomfortability comes from the 2023 season, which was Klubnik’s opening season as the Tigers’ starting quarterback. Clemson began the season 4-4 following dropped games to Duke, Florida State, NC State and Miami to drop out completely of an ACC Championship appearance. 

After that point, the team would win the next five games, including a Gator Bowl win against Kentucky, to secure the team’s 13th straight nine-win season. 

For Klubnik, he says the experiences have united the team, with a roller coaster of emotions throughout his two years as Clemson’s starter, making it seem like unfinished business. 

“Being 4-4 in Clemson, South Carolina is not a fun place to be,” he said, “and I’ve lived that and we lived that together, and we’ve been to the playoffs, we’ve won two ACC Championships, so we’ve been on the ups and downs of college football.”

Klubnik now has a College Football Playoff appearance under his belt as well, and though it is a loss to his hometown team in the Texas Longhorns, the performance kickstarted a desire to get back, which led to many players following the quarterback in returning to the Tigers. 

“That’s what the experience that I’m seeing when I see this team,” Klubnik said. “It’s ‘hey, man, we’ve been through it all, and we are still here and stuck together and ready to give it one more shot.’”

Clemson will face LSU in the opening week at Memorial Stadium, and if Klubnik and the team are able to walk away with a win against a top opponent, that “shot” that he spoke about could turn into a magical run. 

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