Four seasons ago, an energetic, five-star quarterback named Cade Klubnik created a wave of excitement among Clemson fans to be the program’s next promising signal caller.
Fast forward to mid-2026, and he’s receiving a similar type of recognition, this time in the NFL with the New York Jets.
The fourth-round pick has burst onto the scene over the last five weeks. During the franchise’s rookie minicamp at the beginning of May, Klubnik was even dubbed one of the winners by The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt.
Social media buzz began to circle the new Jets quarterback, with star running back Breece Hall getting in on the excitement on an X post by the franchise on May 8.
That hasn’t gotten to the former Clemson standout, though. Throughout his time with the Tigers, Klubnik always remained level-headed, moving on to the next day and taking advantage of his opportunities.
“For me, it’s just the beginning,” he said, “and I’m trying to be a sponge every day and just learn and just take advantage of the incredible coaches I have.”
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Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) didn’t have a good enough senior season to sustain preseason first-round hype but he did get taken on April 25 during Day 3 of the NFL draft. File/Travis Bell/Sideline Carolina
The professionalism of Clemson’s former three-year starter began with the meteoric rise in 2022. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney’s decision to put in a true freshman without a start in the Tigers’ ACC Championship game against North Carolina proved to be successful looking back.
Klubnik picked up the game’s MVP award by the end of it, helping Clemson pick up its seventh conference championship in eight seasons with a 279-yard performance that featured two total touchdowns. The outside noise all season long ended up paying off.
By the end of his career, the Austin, Texas native was the program’s all-time leader in completions and pass attempts. Klubnik put himself in elite company with some of the best Tiger quarterbacks in history, finishing third in all-time passing yards.
While it ended with an underwhelming 7-6 campaign this past fall, Swinney let NFL Draft scouts know how important he would end up being to a franchise down the line after his final game in the Pinstripe Bowl in December.
“Whoever gets to coach Cade Klubnik will be better because of it,” Swinney said. “He's been an incredible blessing to me in my life, and man, I'm just so thankful for him.”
That next coach ended up being Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who traded up to pick up to get Klubnik in the draft, who was projected to be a first-round pick a year earlier.
He already had high praise for Klubnik, calling him a “very smart man”.
"We’re going to push the envelope with that player and see exactly where he’s at,” Glenn said in early May. "And how he’s going to be able to operate with our offense.”
Being voted a permanent team captain by the Tigers in 2025, fellow Jets rookies understood why his leadership qualities were so important for the draft. During the process of installing the playbook, Klubnik has put in the extra work during OTAs, meeting with other rookies after practices to sharpen up their skillset.
“Nothing special,” the quarterback said, “just kind of walk through some of this stuff, just a little bit extra because we’re all sitting around the hotel.”
That preparation has also caught the eye of New York starting quarterback Geno Smith, who’s seen the experience that Klubnik has held over his last four years. He could have left Clemson after 2024, but his decision to stay has allowed him to enter the NFL with more snaps than many other rookies.
“He can spin the heck out of the ball. I feel like he’s a guy who’s always prepared,” Smith said. “He’s been preparing as if he’s going to be a starter, and that’s something that’s important in this league.”
Klubnik’s readiness showed immediately on his first day of the franchise’s OTAs as well, throwing a perfect 12-of-12 during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. Some believe he could compete for the backup spot behind Smith, although growing pains showed on his second day.
That will be a process for the former Clemson QB1, but his growth will be monitored to see if he can have another rise in the depth chart, similar to what he did under Swinney in his first season at the collegiate level.
For now, it’s just one day at a time as the preseason continues.
“Excited to go show everybody who Cade Klubnik is, and I think my best ball’s ahead of me,” he said.
Just take it from Smith, who looks forward to watching his trajectory for seasons to come.
“I think he’s got a bright future," Smith said.