Clemson benches DJ Uiagalelei, puts in true freshman Cade Klubnik against Syracuse

Early in the season, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has made a major decision with his offense. DJ Uiagalelei was the cemented starter for the Tigers, even after some struggles last season. Now, there is somebody new running the show, with Cade Klubnik replacing Uiagalelei against Syracuse on Saturday.

Swinney brought Klubnik into the game in the third quarter against the Orange, with Clemson struggling offensively. The highly touted true freshman has impressed since coming into the program this spring semester and will now get his shot as the team’s quarterback.

In Clemson’s last possession, Uiagalelei threw his second interception of the day, bringing his stat line to 138 passing yards, no touchdowns and two picks. Now, Klubnik will get his chance to lead the Tigers as they look to catch lightning in a bottle.

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Coming out of high school, Klubnik was ranked a five-star prospect by the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting services. The Austin (Westlake) product was the No. 1 quarterback in the 2022 class and No. 18 on the national scale.

Klubnik has already been compared to some of the great quarterbacks to come out of Clemson. Swinney himself has made similar moves with those quarterbacks. The decision has paid off in the past and now, the Tigers’ head coach will be hoping Klubnik is no different.

Dabo Swinney compares Cade Klubnik to Deshaun Watson

Leading into the season, Swinney had strong words for what he thought of Klubnik. Names such as Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence have both been thrown around. As we know, both of those guys wound up winning the national championship for Clemson.

Watson is who Swinney thinks Klubnik compares to the best — at least from a physical standpoint. He discussed how the true freshman has progressed over the past few months and called him a “special prospect.”

“The game is not too fast for him,” Swinney said. “I mean, he’s a rookie, he’s a young guy. But he’s doing what he needs to do. I compare him more to Deshaun just because they’re so similar physically. Almost clones if you put them side by side and how they’re built structurally. I think they were both around 179 pounds and got in here.

“That first August, they were both around there at 200. Cade’s probably a little faster but they throw the ball very similar. Very similar characteristics as far as creativity. He’s a special young prospect, just like those other guys.”

On3’s Stephen Samra contributed to this article.