Cade Klubnik, Clemson
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Former Clemson quarterback reacting after a huge win over Florida State.
Who knows if quarterback Cade Klubnik will be a success during his tenure with the New York Jets?
However, if a 34-second slow-motion video of Klubnik running onto the field for rookie minicamp is any indication, he could be a future Hall of Famer. The video went viral, and it currently has 1.2 million impressions.
Klubnik was running out of the team practice facilities onto the football field for the first day of rookie minicamp.
Top Social Media Reactions
βπππbro got crazy Aura alreadyπππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππ,β Jets teammate Breece Hall said about the Klubnik video.
πππbro got crazy Aura alreadyπππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππ https://t.co/Wim7GXNlPL
β Breece Hall (@BreeceH) May 8, 2026
βHe might be the guy on this video alone,β Pardon My Meme posted.
βWhy does it feel like Cade Klubnik is turning into a fan favorite ? The hate didnβt last for very long,β a fan responded.
βChad Pennignton/Trevor Lawrence Mashup,β Jets analyst Paul Fiore said.
Sometimes itβs hard to put your finger on why something goes viral. However, this Da Vinci Code isnβt hard to solve. Klubnik is rocking the No. 10 jersey, which is inspiring nostalgic memories of Jets fan favorite quarterback Chad Pennington. He has locks of hair that people are either jealous of or inspired by.
You combine all of those factors with a franchise that has been quarterback-starved for nearly 50 years, and you have hungry fans trying to plug in a prince.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
The Jets announced the full jersey number set for the 2026 rookies. These numbers are unofficial and can be changed at any time.
However, Klubnik may want to keep it based on the fan response. There has been an interesting collection of players in Jets history who have rocked that number:
Chad Pennington
Braxton Berrios
Santonio Holmes
Jermaine Kearse
Allen Lazard
Pat Ryan
Kenbrell Thompkins
From a Super Bowl MVP, to one of the best quarterbacks in team history, to heartbreaking moments, and a despised veteran.
Klubnik Inks His Rookie Contract
Before the former Clemson passer stepped onto the field for the first time, he signed his four-year rookie contract, the team announced.
ESPNβs Rich Cimini revealed that Klubnikβs four-year deal is worth βaboutβ $5.5 million in total value.
βKlubnik (6-2, 207) went 26-14 as a starter at Clemson while becoming the fifth Tigers QB to start 40 games. In 12 starts last season, Klubnik completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 2,943 yards with 16 TDs and 6 INTs,β Jets senior reporter Eric Allen wrote in a press release.
βKlubnik was the fifth quarterback drafted, following No. 1 overall Fernando Mendoza (Las Vegas), Ty Simpson (LA Rams), Carson Beck (Arizona), and Drew Allar (Pittsburgh). Geno Smith is the Jetsβ starter, but Klubnik will compete in a room that also includes veteran Bailey Zappe and second-year passer Brady Cook,β Allen added.
βThe Jets got in position to draft Klubnik via a picks swap with the Cincinnati Bengals. They traded up 18 slots in Round 4, marking the Jetsβ largest upward move in a picks-for-picks same-draft-day trade in franchise history,β Allen revealed.
If history is any indication, Klubnik will inevitably get on the field for the Jets at some point during the 2026 season. Over the last 11 seasons, only two quarterbacks have started a full season with the green and white.