Dabo Swinney compares QB Cade Klubnik to a pair of all-time great Clemson QBs

After Saturday's dramatic comeback win over Pitt, tons of people have been throwing flowers at the feet of QB Cade Kludnik, and rightfully so. After all, his game-winning 50-yard quarterback draw was arguably the play of the year for the Tigers.

Not only did that run give Clemson a 24-20 win, but it also kept alive Clemson's ACC title game and College Football Playoff hopes. However, Klubnik's day can't be summed up with just one play.

All game long, the junior was the driving force of the Clemson offense on a day when the Tigers got only 17 yards on 17 carries from running back Phil Mafah. In addition to rushing for 41 yards and a TD on 10 carries, Klubnik was 27-41 passing for 288 yards and a pair of TDs with no interceptions.

And after the game, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney compared his current quarterback to two of the best to ever play the position for the Tigers.

"We've got a great quarterback," he said. "If you look at our quarterback, he's right there with DeShaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence, statistically. He takes care of the ball. He makes big plays."

Perhaps Swinney was caught up in the moment. Or perhaps he was trying to oversell his program after being asked why his team's resume is worthy of a playoff spot. But he's a bit off when saying that Klubnik is statistically comparable to Watson and Lawrence.

This year, Klubnik has thrown for 2,563 yards with 26 TDs and 4 picks. He's averaging 256.3 yards per game through the air and completing 63.4% of his passes. Though those numbers are more than solid, they don't approach what either Watson or Lawrence did in their best college seasons.

As a junior in 2016, Watson passed for 4,593 yards and 41 touchdowns with 17 picks. He averaged 306.2 yards per game and completed 67% of his passes. But most importantly, he led Clemson to a national title that season.

Meanwhile, in Lawrence's best statistical season, 2019, he passed for 3,665 yards with 36 touchdowns and 8 picks. That year, as a sophomore, he averaged 244.3 yards per game through the air while completing 65.8% of his attempts. Of course, the year prior, as a freshman, Lawrence led Clemson to the 2018 National Championship.

There is no doubt that Klubnik has improved as a player. Last year, he averaged just 218.7 yards per game through the air and had 19 touchdowns to 9 picks. What's more, he was often the reason why the Clemson offense struggled to move the ball.

This year, he's been a leader and a positive influence on the offense in almost every game. Anyone who has paid attention can see that he's taken a step forward and, according to Swinney, he grew as a player because of his heroic moment against Pitt.

"Great quarterbacks find a way," he said. "And he found a way tonight. And that's the type of moment, the type of experience that, when you do stuff like that, it does stuff inside of you. All of a sudden, you start to expect that. And you gotta go experience those things. That'll be a moment that he'll never forget and that'll be a moment that will grow him even more."

However, Swinney needs to tap the breaks on comparing Klubnik to Watson or Lawrence. He still has a lot more growing and winning to do before he's in that category of Clemson quarterbacks.