Can Clemson’s Cade Klubnik be part of Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix as written-off QBs to turn out to be Spherical 1 draft picks?

Anybody that is ever tried to amass true mastery of any topic is aware of that the time period studying curve may be very apt. There may be nothing in life the place the quantity of effort exerted will instantly correlate to relative enchancment. No, with any talent improvement there will likely be large leaps made in brief time intervals, frustratingly lengthy plateaus and even unexplainable backslides (taking a look at you golf). 

It is why intangible qualities like resilience and confidence are such essential qualities in life. It is simple to maintain working whenever you’re making fixed enhancements, however not everyone seems to be prepared to maintain pushing via the lulls and downturns.

Within the scouting world, discovering the prospects who’ve proven they’ll push via these lulls and downturns to point out fixed enchancment is a necessity. As a result of Day 1 on an NFL area is the final word downturn. Nowhere have we seen the dynamic bear out extra acutely than on the quarterback place. 

The 2024 quarterback class needs to be probably the most shining instance of this. Bo Nix was derided in his three years at Auburn earlier than transferring to Oregon, whereas there’s the well-known video of Arizona State teammates saying “clear his shit out … he sucks in any case” in entrance of Jayden Daniels’ former locker. Each underwent big-time backslides over their faculty careers that made them clearly extra resilient NFL quarterbacks.

In case you are searching for a corollary to these two within the 2026 class, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik is the man. He is the one one of many extremely touted prime seven quarterbacks on this class who began in any respect as a real freshman. In Klubnik’s sophomore season, there have been calls to bench the previous prime recruit, as he averaged 6.1 yards per try and Clemson did not win 10 video games for the primary time since 2010. That refrain grew much more impatient initially of final season when Klubnik went 18-for-29 for 142 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in a blowout loss to Georgia.

However then one thing magical occurred: The leaps in improvement got here. Not solely did he roll via to an ACC Championship, however by the tip of the season Klubnik was on a nationwide stage within the School Soccer Playoff tearing up a vaunted Texas protection. He regarded like a very totally different quarterback altogether from the one we noticed the 12 months prior.

That is development. That is resilience. That is a core constructing block of a franchise quarterback. The important thing right here, although, is what comes subsequent. Much like each Daniels and Nix, there is a motive Klubnik is exhausting his years of eligibility in faculty. His tape simply wasn’t constant sufficient final season to justify making the leap, however Klubnik’s draft inventory is not written in stone but. There are a variety of causes to assume he might break into the first-round dialog this fall.

The primary is solely the athlete. That is virtually a pre-requisite on the place these days, and Klubnik suits the invoice. He ran for 588 yards and 7 scores final season, and also you see it in his environment friendly pocket actions between reads as nicely. 

From a pure bodily instruments perspective, Klubnik jogs my memory of Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. Neither are that large (Klubnik was verified at 6-foot-1 ½”, 204 kilos within the spring), however each present gentle toes and NFL-caliber arms. Klubnik used that arm final season to rack up the fifth-most big-time throws in faculty soccer final season (28) and probably the most amongst returning starters, in keeping with PFF.

That willingness to assault downfield was simply the largest enchancment from his first 12 months to his second. His common depth of goal jumped by 2.4 yards from 7.0 to 9.4. And he did it whereas each his common time to throw and sack fee went down. It was an entire transformation stylistically.

With Klubnik already present process such a drastic evolution over the course of his profession, it is exhausting to place a label on precisely who he’ll be this 12 months. With sky-high expectations for Clemson this season with arguably probably the most loaded roster in faculty soccer, I would not put it previous Klubnik to lift the bar as soon as once more.

Suppose Klubnik can have a large 2025 season and find yourself being the No. 1 decide within the 2026 NFL Draft? Head on over to DraftKings Sportsbook, the place Klubnik is being provided at +600 ($10 to win $60).

Cade Klubnik NFL Draft profile

What scouts are saying about Cade Klubnik

“Klubnik took a giant step ahead final season to the purpose that the favored opinion amongst NFL scouts is that he is the second-best draft prospect at QB behind Nussmeier and a risk to go early within the first spherical of subsequent 12 months’s draft. ‘Athletic, can create off script and a pure playmaker,’ an NFL director of participant personnel mentioned. ‘Gifted passer. Saved Clemson within the recreation in opposition to Texas.'” — Matt Zenitz (nationwide NFL/nationwide faculty soccer senior reporter for CBS Sports activities)

2026 NFL mock draft: Preseason version contains 5 QBs taken in first spherical, together with a giant shock at No. 1

Mike Renner

Cade Klubnik faculty stats

Cade Klubnik 247Sports profile

Highschool: Westlake (Austin, Texas)
Class: 2022
Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (98)

• Nationwide: 13 | QB: 2 | Texas: 3

Try Cade Klubnik’s full 247Sports profile, right here.