Dabo Swinney updates progress made by Cade Klubnik

Cade Klubnik is entering his second year being the starting quarterback for the Clemson Tigers. With that comes plenty of development that many, including Dabo Swinney, have taken notice of.

Swinney discussed Klubnik’s offseason progression during a recent press conference last week. He thinks that their quarterback has done what they’ve wanted to see him do to improve his game. That doesn’t surprise him either because Klubnik is a player that has all the aspects that suggest that this was coming for him.

“He had a great spring. He really did. You know, we don’t put a lot on the spring game – good or bad. It’s just one of 15 days. It’s really the one day where kind of everything is diluted. You know, we evaluate him on what we’ve seen each and every day. Even the summer is a part of it,” said Swinney. “He, in our eyes, has taken the next step that we need to see to this point. Now it’s got to go happen on the field. That’s what you want to see. That’s what it’s all about, you know.”

“Guys get better. It’s a developmental game. If you’re made of the right stuff? You’ve got to have the talent. But if you’ve got the talent, you’re made of the right stuff? The right type of character, football character? Work ethic, will to prove? Then you’re going to get better. He has got all of that,” Swinney said. “We expect him to take another big step for us and he’s really not that far.”

Klubnik started all 13 games for Clemson in 2023 after taking the job from DJ Uiagalelei at the end of the prior season. During those games last fall, Klubnik completed 63.9% of his throws for 2,844 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also rushed for four more scores.

It wasn’t perfect for Klubnik in the past season as a sophomore. However, to think he, along with other players, can’t get better after their first opportunity to play is incorrect in Swinney’s mind.

“I mean he’s a first-year starter. We’re just so quick to just, you know, crucify people, if you will, if they’re not some All-American the first time they step on the field,” Swinney said. “If that was the standard, especially for a quarterback? There’s some of the best quarterbacks that have played college football, and even in the NFL, that would have never happened, right?”

“Guys get better and I think that, you know, we just have to be careful when we are so quick,” said Swinney. “That’s why I’m hesitant with young players, you know, to just want to put to much on these guys because I know what’s coming if they don’t meet somebody else’s expectations.”

Now, as a junior, Klubnik is refining in a way that the Tigers are glad to be seeing. From here, it’s about taking those fixes, two of them specifically, and bringing them into his play in the upcoming season.

“I mean the biggest thing is just to physically mature, continue do that,” Swinney noted. “I don’t know if y’all saw him today but he looks great.”

“The biggest thing for him is just minimizing the negative plays. Just too many negative plays last year as a first-year starter. What do I mean by that? He had too many fumbles, ball is on the ground. He took too many TFLs, tackles for loss that shouldn’t have been a tackle for loss. Took too many sacks on him,” added Swinney. “Those are things that you want to see him take a big step forward in this year as a second-year starter. I think he will.”

As a 20-year-old and former five-star, Klubnik still has plenty of potential to tap into. That is exactly what Swinney is expecting to see from him too as he heads into 2024.

“I’m proud of him, man,” said Swinney. “He’s really worked his tail off.”

“We’re going to find out real quick in that opener, you know. But he has worked hard. He has really grown as a leader. We’re excited about where he is to this point,” Swinney said. “We’ve just got to go to work, man. Everybody has got a lot to prove and he’s one of them, for sure.”