Clemson football: It’s almost criminal Cade Klubnik isn’t rated a 5-star

The Clemson football program absolutely found a gem in the form of 4-star QB Cade Klubnik and he continues to prove that both on and off the field.

Klubnik made it clear earlier this spring that he wanted to be a part of Clemson football and patiently waited for an offer to be made. Though Klubnik and Clemson were in consistent communication, the Tigers were pursuing 4-star QB Ty Simpson- who eventually committed to Alabama- and that’s when they dished out the offer to Klubnik.

He committed almost immediately.

Since that point, Klubnik has continuously showed up on the big stage.

He outdueled 5-star QB Quinn Ewers (Ohio State commit, rated as the No. 1 QB in the nation) head-to-head in the Texas Class 6A Division 1 state championship game earlier this spring, completing 18-of-20 passing attempts for 220 yards and a touchdown.

Since that point, Klubnik has continued to climb up recruiting rankings but he still has fallen short of earning that fifth star.

Klubnik is listed as the No. 28 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals.com and he is the top-rated 4-star in the class. Interestingly enough, he’s just one spot behind Ty Simpson (No. 27 overall).

In the 247 Sports’ composite player rankings, he is listed as the No. 65 player in the nation and the No. 6 QB in the country, which seems almost laughable.

It’s time for the Clemson football QB commit to be listed as a 5-star. It’s almost criminal it has taken this long

Klubnik just went out to California and, again, put on a big-time performance on a prominent stage.

He earned Elite 11 MVP Honors- as the obvious choice– and easily looked like the best quarterback on the field during each of the days.

Here’s a look at Sports Illustrated’s breakdown from his performance:

"Whether you rely on data or spoken word around the camp, the winner of the 2021 Elite 11 Finals emerged as an obvious one for SI All-American throughout the week: Clemson commit Cade Klubnik.Owning a top-three ranking for his performance each day, Klubnik demonstrated consistent poise throughout the week, refusing to allow the pressure of the event to get to his head. His accuracy was immaculate from start to finish, placing passes perfectly to all three levels of the field, sideline to sideline. Klubnik’s velocity didn’t falter as his throws added up, and his touch was elite on deep shots.Although he isn’t a destructive rusher, Klubnik made a strong impression throwing on the run in camp as well. Clemson will benefit from maintaining a similar offensive system with Klubnik as it put on the field with Trevor Lawrence, utilizing his feet when necessary but relying on his ability to place a football anywhere on the gridiron."

Simply put, Klubnik outshined his peers.

No one is going to say that winning the Elite 11 means you’re guaranteed to be a star at the next level (we’ve seen many names win the Elite 11 and go on to have absolutely no success in college), but when you look at the overall body of work:

• His pure arm talent
• His winning nature & poise under pressure
• The ‘give-it-all’ mentality

It’s easy to craft an argument for Klubnik to be rated as a 5-star.

It’s long overdue, but recruiting services need to start paying attention because Clemson football has a good one on its hands.