CLEMSON — Clemson football quarterback Cade Klubnik is appreciative.
Klubnik is entering his fourth season with the Tigers after declining to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. He will finish his college career with Clemson, which isn't the norm for most players in the transfer portal era.
After he had a shaky 2023 in his first full season as a starter that contributed to the Tigers missing the College Football Playoff for the third straight year, coach Dabo Swinney faced fan and media pressure to make a quarterback move via the portal. Yet Swinney and his staff stuck with Klubnik, and that decision meant the most to the veteran quarterback.
"It's weird to look at my class of quarterbacks. They're all over the place, and they're bouncing around," Klubnik said Monday. "No shame on them . . . transferring and everything.
"To be at a place where I didn't even feel pressured that I had to leave, I'm just so thankful I chose here. It's tough to be anxious about a season when you're just thankful for where you're at."
Of the top 10 quarterbacks in the 2022 class, according to 247Sports, half have transferred, including two who have switched programs twice. Klubnik was rated as the top quarterback.
Swinney's decision to stick with him paid dividends last season. Klubnik set career highs in passing yards (3,639), completions (308) and total touchdowns (43) to lead Clemson to its first ACC championship title since 2022 and its first CFP appearance since 2020.
Klubnik's completions were the third-most in a season in Clemson history, trailing only Deshaun Watson (388 in 2016 and 333 in 2015). Klubnik's 36 touchdown passes tied Tajh Boyd (2012) and Trevor Lawrence (2019) for the second-most touchdown throws in a season in program history.
