Clemson Tigers star Cade Klubnik is a rare quarterback in modern college football. Despite boasting a big name and playing for the Tigers for four seasons, he has yet to enter the transfer portal, maintaining his commitment to Dabo Swinney and the Tigers.
Now, entering the 2025 season, many believe Klubnik can be the best quarterback in all of college football.
Cade Klubnik Shares a Conversation With Dabo Swinney That Made Him Affirm His Loyalty to Clemson
Under Klubnik, the Clemson Tigers finished second in the ACC and won the championship last season. However, they couldn’t advance past the first round of the College Football Playoff, losing 38-24 to Texas.
‼️NEW EPISODE NOW STREAMING‼️
We are excited to welcome our first current college athlete to the show, Clemson QB @CadeKlubnikQB
In this episode Cade discusses the transfer portal, his love for @ClemsonFB, facing & overcoming adversity, how much he values his teammates, what… pic.twitter.com/m8zd92zg96
— Pure Athlete (@pureathleteinc) February 12, 2025
Rumors of moving on from Klubnik started to suraface after his sophomore season last year. Coach Dabo Swinney also felt that which is why he had an important conversation with the quarterback, which made him feel secure.
“I think one of the biggest things after my sophomore year was, which was exactly a year ago, was Coach Swinney pulled me into his office and told me, ‘Hey, I’ve got quarterbacks that want to play here too. I’ve got players wanting to come play at Clemson and come replace you,'” Klubnik told the Pure Athlete podcast.
“He told me, ‘I believe in you and trust in you. Let’s go to work.’ It’s one thing to have a couple of people in your ear saying this and this and this, ‘You should leave.’ When the head coach comes up and tells you that he believes in you after you just had a not-great year — that just kinda flipped something. ‘I want to go play for you even harder. I want to go to work for you even more.'”
Klubnik threw for 3,693 yards, 36 touchdowns, and only six interceptions, with a completion rate of 63.4% in 2024.
For Klubnik, It’s More About Passion Than Money When It Comes to Football
Klubnik was a five-star quarterback out of high school and even led Clemson to the ACC title in his freshman campaign. This naturally meant several top schools would have been on the other side of the call asking him to take a transfer following his incredible freshman campaign.
However, it was his passion for the sport and not the money, due to which he has spent all four seasons with Clemson.
“I dreamed of playing college football my whole life, and I never dreamed of doing it to make money,” Klubnik said. “I dreamed of doing it because I want to do it. I want to run out on a football field in front of 100,000 fans and play the game I’ve been playing since I was three years old. And not to go make money. I think I had to remind myself of that perspective because that’s the dream I’ve been chasing.”
KEEP READING: Cade Klubnik’s NIL Deals
In today’s college football, it’s hard to find players who are not leveraging their celebrity status to earn more NIL money. If there is one person who not only plays for the passion but also shows loyalty to the program, it’s Klubnik.
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