Cade
Klubnik.
Cade
Klubnik.
Clemson· 6'2"· 210 lb
R4 · #110 · New York Jets"Timing-and-rhythm passer with three-year starter reps, ACC title production, and NFL-ready processing; middling arm and escape traits cap the ceiling to schemed backup with spot-starter upside."Pre-draft read
This rhythm-based pocket passer excels at timing throws from 11-personnel and RPO looks, winning with anticipation, a quick trigger, and a clean base. Releasing at the top of his drop when concepts are on schedule, his short-area accuracy on hitches, glance routes, and boundary comebacks is consistent. He resets his feet well after play-action to drive intermediate in-breakers with pace, utilizing layered arm talent for throws primarily within 0–20 yards.
His second-reaction game is functional; he slides in the pocket, keeping his eyes up. Yet, escape burst is average, and he tends to default to check-downs when his first read is covered. He performs best when the scheme incorporates movement and defines his launch point, leaning on hitch-and-drift progressions over full-field concepts.
This player fits best in a Shanahan outside zone or spread RPO system that features play-action, half-field reads, and reads designed to get the ball out quickly to timing routes.
Year 1: High-end backup or spot starter who can execute a defined short-to-intermediate scheme; Ceiling: Durable, long-term starting QB in a similar system because of his accuracy and processing speed.
Pure vertical passing game where he's asked to uncork 50-yard throws and read full-field concepts on a consistent basis.
Cade Klubnik, with his quick trigger and anticipation, thrives when the scheme defines his reads, allowing him to operate efficiently from the pocket, although his average arm strength limits his deep-ball efficacy.
Cade Klubnik - Clemson Highlights 2025
Senior-year reel showing timing throws, play-action rhythm and boundary accuracy.
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik 2024 Highlights
ACC-title breakout season with 36-to-6 TD-INT production highlighted.
Best Of Cade Klubnik At Clemson
Career-long compilation covering the 2022 ACC title cameo through the CFP run.
This prospect projects as a schemed-up quarterback, providing a team with a backup who possesses a legitimate starting arc given the right environment. He demonstrates accuracy, toughness, and processing ability, foundational traits for a player who functions best within a well-defined system.
After taking over the offense midway through 2022 and navigating a challenging 2023 season, he broke out in 2024, leading his team to an ACC title and a College Football Playoff appearance with a 36-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He played under multiple coordinators during his career, accumulating nearly 10,000 passing yards.
Draft consensus placed him in the Day 2 tier, acknowledging his processing and accuracy but noting concerns about arm ceiling and off-platform creation. Evaluators flagged pocket claustrophobia against interior pressure and a tendency to bail early when the initial read was covered. The New York Jets selected him with pick 110, buying into his controlled system strengths.
- 01
Anticipation and Timing Throws
This rhythm-based passer delivers the ball at the top of his drop on schemed concepts, hitting receivers before their breaks.
- 02
Short-Area Accuracy
His short-area accuracy on hitches, glance routes, and boundary comebacks is consistent, enhancing run-after-catch opportunities.
- 03
Clean Pocket Mechanics
He cleanly resets his feet after play-action, enabling him to drive intermediate in-breakers with pace and precise ball placement.
- 04
Production & Accomplishments
He led his team to an ACC title and a College Football Playoff appearance, achieving a 36-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2024.
- 05
Toughness in Pocket
He exhibits toughness and pocket courage, standing firm against interior pressure to deliver throws and absorbing contact.
- 01
Arm Strength Limitations
His arm strength is average; deep boundary throws lose velocity past 40 air yards, requiring him to gather his feet.
- 02
Pocket Claustrophobia
He exhibits pocket claustrophobia against interior pressure, tending to drift backward and drop his eye level instead of climbing.
- 03
Limited Creation Ability
His second-reaction game is functional but not creative, with ordinary escape burst and off-platform throws that often sail.
- 04
Bailout Tendencies
He defaults to check-downs when his first read is covered instead of working through a full progression to backside options.
| Yr | Team | G | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Clemson | 12 | 61 | 100 | 697 | 2 | 3 |
| 2023 | Clemson | 13 | 290 | 454 | 2844 | 19 | 9 |
| 2024 | Clemson | 14 | 308 | 486 | 3639 | 36 | 6 |
| 2025 | Clemson | 13 | 257 | 392 | 2943 | 16 | 6 |
| Career | — | 52 | 916 | 1432 | 10123 | 73 | 24 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
- Bryant Wesco Jr.WR17%
- Antonio WilliamsWR11%
- T.J. MooreWR9%
#1 of 17 tracked contributors · Production leaned on volume · Offense explosiveness 1.22 (p40) · CFBD — usage x PPA per tracked player
Tough, accurate short-area passer with average arm and second-reaction limits; ends up a spot starter.
Rhythm-first starter who wins with timing, mobility, and structure rather than arm talent.
Clean thrower on rhythm concepts who plateaus as a QB2/emergency starter when pressure overwhelms.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context Klubnik arrived at Clemson as a five-star Austin Westlake product tasked with restoring the program's quarterback pipeline after the DJ Uiagalelei era stalled. He cameoed to a spark-plug ACC title game win over UNC in 2022, then absorbed a bumpy first full season in 2023 before the 2024 breakout: 36 touchdowns, an ACC championship, and a College Football Playoff appearance. His senior year settled the archetype — accurate, tough, processing-forward, but capped by average arm strength and pedestrian escape ability. Combine week was clean rather than jaw-dropping, and the board landed him firmly in the Day 3 quarterback tier despite the pedigree.
NFL fit — Jets New York took him at 110 as a developmental piece behind their veteran starter, betting that a play-action-heavy, timing-based offense can weaponize his best traits. The path forward is QB3 as a rookie, with room to climb to the primary backup by Year 2 if his short-area accuracy and pre-snap operation transfer as expected. Any starter reps will hinge on pass protection — his 2023 tape confirmed that muddy pockets accelerate his eye drop and bailout tendencies. In a controlled, half-field play sheet he can hold serve; asked to carry the offense on full-field reads against disguised coverage, the ceiling flattens quickly.
Retrospective Too early to judge outcome — Klubnik enters 2026 as a rookie behind the Jets' incumbent. The evaluation to track is whether the anticipation and toughness that defined his 2024 tape scale up when the windows tighten, or whether the arm and escape limits push him into a career-QB2 role. On the range of outcomes the fair projection is a competent spot starter in the Kenny Pickett band, with Bo Nix-style scheme fit as the realistic ceiling and Davis Mills-style backup as the floor.