JD PicKell: Clemson's offense will be quarterback friendly in 2023

Clemson’s offense will be very quarterback friendly for Cade Klubnik under Garrett Riley, at least the way On3’s J.D. PicKell sees it.

Klubnik has a lot of potential as a former five-star prospect. He filled in D.J. Uiagalelei towards the end of last season but now he has full reigns of the offense.

Out goes Brandon Streeter and in comes Riley, who aided TCU to the national championship in 2022. This could be quite the boost to Klubnik.

“For Garrett Riley’s offense, one way it’s going to be quarterback friendly is the flexibility it offers pre-snap and then during the snap,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “What do we mean by that? It means that before the snap, Cade Klubnik surveys the defense, checks out the safeties, where’s the Mike? Okay, cool. Got the picture. If he doesn’t like what he sees, he can check out of it. Now I’m just saying in the NFL, that’s pretty common. At the collegiate level, not everybody has that capability. Not all quarterbacks get to have the option of checking out a play as they like. So that’s the first piece. When I say during the snap, during the play, there’s some flexibility. You’re not just having to stick to what the play says you have to do.” 

Basically, Klubnik being able to adjust on the fly can aid the offense. Plus it gives receivers the freedom to adjust routes in real-time.

“So with that being said, the receivers and different skill players within the Clemson offense based on what Garrett Riley is communicating and based on what he’s done historically, they have the option to adapt to what the defense gives them during the play,” PicKell said. “Going back to that line on the card I was just mentioning. It’s a slant route. And if that linebacker is sitting right where I’m running to, I don’t have to run to that linebacker. I can sit it down in the zone. Catch it. Cool, we’re good. 

“We just turned a slant into a hitch and we’re rolling now. And this isn’t wildly uncommon across college football, but the fact that it’s built into the system, I would imagine there’s other answers built into the system. What it does for you is it gives you answers to what the defense is trying to present problems to.”

Klubnik and the Clemson offense might be more open than ever before based on the adjustments of the college game. Riley might be just what the doctor ordered.