Cade Klubnik's Path to QB1

Cade Klubnik is heading into his third season at the helm of the Clemson offense. His experience, mechanics and mental processing place him in the top tier of quarterback prospects heading into the 2025 season.

The 5 Star recruit failed to live up to lofty expectations as a first-year starter in 2023 but took a huge leap forward last season. He threw for 3,639 yards with an impressive 36:6 TD/INT ratio while leading Clemson to the College Football Playoff.

Despite finding success in orange, Klubnik is not Trevor Lawrence. He doesn't enter his final collegiate season with pure anticipation. Most would not consider him to be a top candidate to be the first quarterback selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. He will have to outperform Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar, LaNorris Sellers and maybe even Arch Manning.

His path to QB1 is not a clear one but after watching his tape I can't unsee it.

Pro-Ready Poise

Klubnik's poise in the pocket sets him apart from his peers. He is calm working through his progressions. He feels pressure well and stands tall to make accurate throws with defenders charging into him. Clemson didn't ask him to work past the second read often but he was successful when they did.

He will not be marked as a dual-threat quarterback but is evasive under pressure. Klubnik has soft feet and moves the pocket well. He scrambles to shake defenders while keeping his eyes upfield to finish the play. Klubnik has good enough speed to rush for 250-350 yards/season in the NFL-that's enough for fantasy relevance.

Klubnik shows competitive toughness and is physical to finish plays when he leaves the pocket.

The Foundation to Success

A quarterback with good mechanics is going to win me over during summer scouting. The NFL is not a developmental league and fantasy managers bypass mechanical concerns too often, assuming their pro coaches are going to fix habits deeply ingrained in their play style.

Klubnik has a consistent and smooth throwing motion. He gets the ball out with a fast release. He can adjust his release to be quicker in RPO or pressure situations. His footwork is in sync with his upper body-a common flaw for quarterbacks at this stage of the scouting process. He adjusts release points well to beat defenders.

His mechanics help him operate as a confident passer over the middle of the field. He has good accuracy and is mostly on time leading his receivers. He can improve his accuracy but checks all the boxes that I am looking for heading into a final season.

Needs to Go Deeper

The lack of excitement around the Clemson passer likely stems from his lack of demonstrated deep ball. He has a limited display of passing attempts past 30 yards. When he does push it deep it takes time and effort to get the ball 40+ yards.

Klubnik's otherwise confident passing style falters in the deep field. His accuracy drops off and he struggles to lead his receivers into space.

A lack of deep ball is not insurmountable for a fantasy football prospect. Baker Mayfield, Bo Nix, Brock Purdy and Geno Smith were top 14 fantasy quarterbacks last season. These NFL passers fall into a similar range of arm strength with what Klubnik has displayed through his first two collegiate seasons.

Cade Klubnik's 2024 tape surprised me. I did not expect to walk away excited but was pleasantly surprised. His mechanics, pocket presence and accuracy are strong enough to project him as a first round draft pick who can start right away in the NFL. He is not a pure dual-threat fantasy option but has enough mobility to score points with his legs. He projects as a mid-high end QB2 with the upside to put together QB1 weeks.

Klubnik is a quarterback worth investing in prior to the start of the 2025 season. He has a lower ADP than LaNorris Sellers, Drew Allar and Arch Manning but has a clear path to being drafted before them in the 2026 NFL Draft.

He opens the season in primetime at home against LSU. Once he tears up a still-rebuilding LSU defense his stock will skyrocket. His schedule gets a lot easier after that. His toughest defenses will be Florida State, Louisville and South Carolina in late-November.

Cade Klubnik does not have the hype but he does have plenty of upside an a path to return value quickly.