The Clemson Tigers football annual Orange and White Spring game was held on April 5, 2025, at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) on tthe sidelines. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) on the sidelines. ALEX HICKS / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Star Clemson QB Cade Klubnik Predicted to Go First Round in Recent NFL Mock Draft

Originally posted on Clemson Tigers on SI | By Jacob Moss | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Clemson Tigers are entering the 2025 season full of more optimism than they've had in a while, and much of that is due to the star quarterback they have under center in rising senior Cade Klubnik.

Klubnik had a breakout campaign in 2024, throwing 3,693 yards and 36 touchdowns while leading the Tigers back to the College Football Playoff for the first time since the 2020 season.

Now, with more talent on the roster than at any point over the last several seasons, both Klubnik and Clemson will be looking to make a run at the program's first national championship since 2018.

While there is still an entire season to get through, NFL analysts have already begun to put together their mock drafts for 2026. Seeing as how Klubnik is one of the best QBs in the nation, he's starting to see his name pop up more and more in these mocks.

The most recent example of this has come via CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson, who put out his 2026 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 earlier on Tuesday, and he had the Tigers' star signal caller going in a rather interesting spot in the first round.

The 2026 NFL Draft QB Class has a chance to be an all time Class:

- Arch Manning
- Drew Allar
- LaNorris Sellers
- Garrett Nussmeier
- Cade Klubnik
- Sam Leavitt
- Dante Moore
- Carson Beck pic.twitter.com/ilEPfqu8Jz
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) April 24, 2025

Wilson has the LA Rams picking up Klubnik with the 27th overall pick, a move that would make him the heir apparent to the aging Matt Stafford under Sean McVay.

On paper, it's hard to find a better landing spot for Klubnik in the NFL. The Rams are one of the most well-run organizations in the NFL, and McVay has built his entire career on getting the absolute most out of his quarterbacks.

While the potential selection is certainly ideal, Wilson seems to be a bit lower on Klubnik than most other analysts, which is illustrated by the fact that he has the Clemson product going so late in the first round. For comparison, most other mocks have Klubnik within the top 10.

Wilson also has three other QBs going ahead of Klubnik in LSU's Garrett Nussmeier at one, Penn State's Drew Allar at five, and perhaps most surprising of all, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza at 14.

While some may view this placement as curious, at the end of the day, it's all just conjecture. As the season draws closer, more and more hot takes and mock drafts will crop up, but nobody will know where these players end up in the pros until they hear their names called next April.

If Klubnik can reach his elite potential in 2025, then next spring's NFL draft will end up taking care of itself.

This article first appeared on Clemson Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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