College Performance: Stop me if you’ve heard this. Clemson signs the heir apparent to Trevor Lawrence, guaranteed performance. Then it turns ugly. Cade Klubnik’s time at Clemson wasn’t that bad, but he never made that transition form average college QB to bona fide star that we all expected. Klubnik burst onto the scene with an excellent ACC Championship game his freshman year. But after that it was fits and starts. When on his game he would make absolutely beautiful plays. But the ugly was bad. Happy feet, locking onto a read, and a desire to fit balls into bad spots created some issues. The good news is Cade improved his decision making each year, even when 2025 was not as successful as expected.

NFL Projections: Cade’s best case right now is to get drafted into an offense that fits his strengths where he can become a backup QB. Maybe he’s able to develop enough to become a starter, but his weaknesses will need some work. Cade is going to have to focus on his mechanics, too many poor passes were a result of footwork and not bad decision making. His leadership qualities will be an asset in an NFL locker room which could help him stick. But so much of his success will be going to the right offense.