Cade Klubnik has had an interesting career thus far.
Coming to Clemson as a five-star recruit who had also won the Elite 11 Finals, everyone expected him to be the next star quarterback to play for Dabo Swinney.
Early on, he was forced to sit behind another five-star, DJ Uiagalelei, and wait his turn. He got that opportunity early on, taking over as the full-time starter as a sophomore, forcing an Uiagalelei transfer to Oregon State. He played fine, passing for just under 3,000 yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions, but the team just didn't take that step forward like everyone was hoping.
Clemson was 4-4 with losses to teams like Duke, Miami, and NC State. It felt like the program was spiraling and Klubnik was receiving a heaping of the blame for the poor start.
The Tigers went on to win five straight games to end the season with a 9-4 record, but it was the first time that Clemson fell short of 10 wins in over a decade. Still, the end of that season catapulted Klubnik into a career year in 2024.
Klubnik told reporters at ACC Media Days that it was that 4-4 start that really fueled him.
"Sophomore year I'm sitting at home, and we're 4-4 in Clemson, South Carolina... I didn't leave my house for 2 or 3 weeks, I didn't even want to go in public. I won't forget that."
— Chase Justice WYFF News 4 (@ChaseJusticeTV) July 24, 2025
Love Cade Klubnik's mindset on how he's handling expectations in 2025. pic.twitter.com/X7AMeAONvK
It's clear that Klubnik never wanted to experience that feeling again; he basically locked himself in his apartment for a few weeks until he righted the ship.
The star quarterback is gearing up for what should be a special season, and it's insane how far he has come from getting blamed for a 4-4 start to his first season as QB1 to now being considered the top quarterback in college football and a potential No. 1 overall pick.
When Klubnik is drafted No. 1 overall, he can look back at that 4-4 start in 2023 as the reason he turned his career around and became an absolute monster.