Steve Sarkisian praises skillset of Cade Klubnik, performance vs. Texas

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was impressed with the plays that Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik made in Saturday’s first round College Football Playoff matchup. Although the Tigers lost 38-24 against the Longhorns, Klubnik did his best to keep them competitive, even making it a one-possession game early in the fourth quarter.

The Clemson QB finished with 336 yards passing and three touchdowns to one interception. Speaking postgame, Sarkisian was complimentary of the performance out of the junior.

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“The one thing that they do that makes it difficult is, when they call the traditional plays, he’s equipped enough to see our coverages and the throw to the right people and he’s got the talent to make those throws,” the Texas coach said. “Then the call the designed quarterbacks runs, whether it’s quarterback draws or true quarterback runs that tax you when you’re trying to deploy people to defend them.

“Then he has the ability to extend plays. How many times did he get outside of the pocket and make some really critical throws for them? So I think we knew it coming in. It was all three of those things were gonna be the challenge of trying to defend him that way.”

Klubnik’s performance came in front of many of family and friends as he grew up in Austin and attended Westlake High School. In fact, Sarkisian recalled recruiting him as Texas offered him a scholarship in the 2022 recruiting cycle.

Although Klubnik ultimately chose to play elsewhere, Sarkisian developed a relationship with him in that time and is happy to have seen him succeed this season. Klubnik finished out the season with a career high 3,639 yards passing and ACC-leading 36 touchdowns to six interceptions.

“I’m proud of Cade,” Sarkisian said. “I’ve known him for a long time. I’ve been recruiting him I feel like forever when he was in high school. The fact that his career didn’t start off maybe the way that he would have liked at Clemson and there was a lot of expectations for him there, but to come out and have the season that he had this year for them to get them to the playoffs, to be ACC champs, that’s a credit to him. He’s a very good football player.”

Klubnik now has a decision to make, as he can declare for the NFL Draft or return to Clemson for a final year of eligibility. But he certainly made a statement with what he did this season in leading the Tigers to the playoff against all odds.