The calendar says it's game week, but for Cade Klubnik, the calendar is irrelevant. As Clemson prepares for a monumental season-opening clash with LSU, the Tigers' quarterback isn't flipping a switch or ramping up his intensity. He’s simply staying the course on a mindset he’s been honing for eight solid months. The biggest game of the year isn't Sunday; for Klubnik, it was Tuesday. And it will be Wednesday, too.
"The Biggest Day of the Year, Every Single Day"
While most players feel a palpable shift when the opponent is finally on the horizon, Klubnik has worked to eliminate that variable. His preparation for a top-10 opponent is the same as it was for a random workout in the dead of winter, a testament to a process-driven approach that has been championed by a veteran, player-led team.
"If I woke up any different today or Monday than I have the last three weeks in fall camp, or have really the whole year, I feel like I've been living a lie," Klubnik stated. "My mentality is I gotta wake up and treat it like game week, and treat it like it's the biggest day of the year every single day. So that's been my mentality. It's exciting to go live out what you've been working for."
That work has been a collective effort. Klubnik was quick to point out the leadership that has defined the team since January.
"Going all the way back to January, yeah, especially throughout the summer, it's been very player-led," he said. "Obviously our coaches have done a great job too, but it's been very, very player-led, for sure."
"Make the Routine Plays Routinely"
With the stage set for a high-stakes opener, Klubnik isn't focused on making spectacular, highlight-reel plays. His mission is one of surgical precision and efficiency against a formidable LSU defense he described as "explosive," "physical," and "relentless."
"I think sometimes you go into a first game you feel like, 'Gotta go do all this insane, crazy plays and go make all this wild stuff happen.' But at the end of the day, you just gotta do the routine plays and do it really well and do them routinely," Klubnik explained. "Be smart, be efficient, and just go rip it."
He has set a tangible, personal standard for what that efficiency looks like.
"Anything within 20 yards should be like a handoff. So anything within 20 yards should be automatic for me," he said. "That's been one of my goals this offseason... Just making routine plays routinely."
"Top 3 Closest People in My Life"
Klubnik's growth from a talented sophomore into a poised and confident leader hasn't happened in a vacuum. He revealed that one of the most crucial figures in his development has been a Clemson legend who has walked in his exact footsteps: former quarterback Tajh Boyd.
"Tajh, I would say probably, is top three closest with in this facility and probably in my life right now," Klubnik said, a tone of deep respect in his voice. "Just in terms of the way that he's been there for me through it all, you know, through my sophomore year, through last year, through this year. From a quarterback perspective, you just see it different. He's lived it. He's lived it here."
Boyd provides a unique perspective that no other coach can, having navigated the immense pressure and expectations that come with the position at Clemson.
"He's been in this exact same room... he's sat where I sat," Klubnik continued. "And to have that perspective is just different... To have him just right there, just knowing what I'm going through and everything, it's just, it's awesome, and honestly, such a blessing to have him in the room with me every single day."
"Shame on Them"
That support system proved invaluable recently when Klubnik became the subject of a cruel and baseless online rumor suggesting he had been in a car accident. He was at home with his roommates when the rumor reached his family, causing immediate panic.
"My mom calls me crying, and I'm like, 'What's going on?'" he recalled. "She's just, like, tearing up, asking if I'm okay. I'm like, 'Yeah, I'm fine. What's going on?' She saw the post that dude or whoever posted... I don't know who it was, but just shame on them for the pain that they had to put people that I love through. It was a messed up joke."
It was a stark reminder of the pressures that exist off the field. But with a steadfast mentality, a clear set of goals, and an invaluable mentor in his corner, Cade Klubnik enters the 2025 season more prepared than ever to handle whatever comes his way—on the field, and off it.