Cade Klubnik paused when the word last was mentioned.
“Oh, it’s wild,” he said. “It’s wild.”
Four years have passed faster than he ever imagined. One more practice remains. One more game still waits.
“I feel like I just had my first time in here with you guys a few weeks ago,” Klubnik said. “And I guess it’s been four years and it’s flown by.”
That final game will come in New York, on a stage few college quarterbacks ever experience. For Klubnik, it’s not just another bowl destination — it’s a chance to finish his Clemson career the only way he knows how: by playing.
Why opting out was never an option
For Klubnik, the decision to play in the Pinstripe Bowl never required debate.
“I just don’t think that’s something I would ever do, to be honest,” he said.
The reasons were layered. Part football. Part loyalty. All conviction.
“I think I can help myself,” Klubnik said. “It’s another game that I get to go play and go help myself for what’s next. But I love football.”
He was careful to show respect for teammates who made different decisions.
“I’ve got a ton of respect for all the guys that aren’t playing,” he said. “They’re my brothers forever. I’m going to be cheering louder than anybody when draft day comes.”
But for him, the answer was clear.
“I really want to play,” Klubnik said. “I get to go play with some of my best friends one more time.”
A body pushed to the edge
Klubnik admitted that this season took more out of him than most people realize.
“I don’t think that a lot of people know what I’ve been through,” he said.
He played through injuries quietly, never letting it become an excuse.
“My mentality this year was maybe not being able to practice Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,” Klubnik said. “Limping through Thursday and giving everything I have — whether it’s 60% or 70% — to go play on Saturday.”
It wasn’t about appearances. It was about responsibility.
“At the end of the day, nobody really cares how your body’s feeling,” he said. “You’ve got a job to go do.”
Now, after weeks of rest, he feels close to whole again.
“I felt really good today,” Klubnik said. “Dang near 100%.”
Cold weather, no sleeves, no excuses
Klubnik has practiced without sleeves — intentionally.
“I’m not going to be wearing sleeves on game day,” he said. “I just want to make everything feel like game day.”
It’s a small detail that says a lot. Comfort isn’t the point. Preparation is.
“Just having that feel and fighting through it is definitely a good thing to do,” he said.
One last streak, one last push
Clemson enters the bowl riding a four-game winning streak. Klubnik understands what finishing strong can mean.
“I think it’s huge,” he said. “Just sending these guys that are coming back next year on a streak.”
He’s seen it before.
“Look back to what we did two years ago and how that five-game winning streak catapulted us,” Klubnik said.
This time, the motivation is personal.
“I really want to strain to get that finish,” he said. “For the guys coming back, but also just finish well in my career.”
Pouring into the next guy
Klubnik spent part of his media session talking not about himself, but about Chris Denson — and the responsibility of being the older quarterback in the room.
“I have not seen somebody develop in one year like he has,” Klubnik said. “From January to December, it’s been really incredible.”
What impressed him most wasn’t arm talent.
“It’s the knowledge of the game,” he said. “The way he’s come every single day and attacked it.”
Klubnik sees that mentorship as part of his job.
“I feel like that’s my role — to pour into him,” he said. “And he’s just made so much progress.”
Faith, pressure, and perspective
Asked what carried him through the pressure of playing quarterback at Clemson, Klubnik didn’t hesitate.
“My faith is the biggest thing that’s gotten me through any of that,” he said.
He acknowledged the weight of expectations.
“In the position that I play, at the school that I’m at, in this environment — it’s not always easy,” Klubnik said.
But he wouldn’t trade it.
“I would much rather be at a school with high expectations than the other way around,” he said.
The legacy he hopes remains
Klubnik will walk across the graduation stage knowing his Clemson career is nearly complete. When asked what he hopes people remember, his answer wasn’t about wins or stats.
“I hope they remember the person that I was,” he said. “And hopefully they saw Jesus through me.”
He paused again.
“I feel like I’ve given everything that I have,” Klubnik said. “Because of that, I can leave here with no regrets.”
And that, more than anything, is why he’s playing one more game.