Cade Klubnik’s mother is never surprised when she walks into her youngest son’s bedroom in Austin, Texas, and sees what he has scribbled across an 8-foot-wide whiteboard. Bible verses, packing lists, declarations of winning a state championship — which Cade accomplished in January with powerhouse Westlake High — have found a spot. He has always been a visual learner, Kim Klubnik said.
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The four-star quarterback, who last month committed to Clemson and this month earned a spot in the Elite 11 finals, inherited the whiteboard from his older brother, Carson, after he left for college about eight years ago. Last fall, of course, Cade wrote out his top five schools in the recruiting process.
He did have one small problem, though.
“Cade was just convinced he wanted to go to Clemson, and Clemson recruits differently,” Kim said. “Clemson only offers one (quarterback) at a time, and it’s theirs until they say no. So it was a little stressful in the house.”
Klubnik, the nation’s No. 69 prospect and No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the Class of 2022 per the 247Sports Composite, wondered at times this spring if he should move on and consider one of his other top schools. Five-star Tennessee native Ty Simpson held Clemson’s initial top quarterback offer, and spots elsewhere were filling up. When Holden Geriner chose Auburn on Feb. 1, Conner Weigman picked Texas A&M on Feb. 4 and Maalik Murphy committed to Texas on Feb. 13, three of Klubnik’s top five programs already had big-time quarterback recruits committed.
But Klubnik took a gamble anyway, having been drawn to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and their shared faith ever since he first saw Swinney on television following the Tigers’ 2016 national championship.
It paid off the night of Feb. 25 when Klubnik noticed he had a missed call from Swinney.
Ten years ago, Clemson never would have competed with the Longhorns and Aggies for a star quarterback in the Lone Star State, let alone be his top choice. But recruiting has become more national, especially for a program that’s become entrenched as one of the nation’s best.
“I called Coach Swinney up, and it went straight to voicemail. I got home that night and he had just been on FaceTime with both of my parents for, like, 45 minutes,” Klubnik said. “That was kind of cool just because I just kind of knew. I think he had a really good feeling. He wouldn’t call me if he didn’t have a good idea about what he wanted to do.”
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The next day, Klubnik’s offer arrived when he and Swinney connected for a call. It was about two hours before Simpson announced his commitment to Alabama. Klubnik officially committed to Clemson on March 2 but knew his recruitment was over.
From left, Tod, Cade, Riley and Kim Klubnik had reason to become Clemson fans as of last month. (Courtesy of the Klubnik family)With Klubnik now the heir apparent to sophomore quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson seems to have found its quarterback for potentially the 2023 season and beyond. Much like Uiagalelei did with former Clemson star Trevor Lawrence in 2020, Klubnik can spend his 2022 freshman season learning from Uiagalelei before he takes over. Uiagalelei can head to the NFL as early as 2023.
And, of course, Klubnik used his whiteboard to plan out his commitment video.
Westlake has produced Drew Brees, Nick Foles and most recently, former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger. The school is only about 20 minutes away from the Longhorns’ Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. Both of Klubnik’s parents, though, are Texas A&M graduates.
But Kim knew Cade was drawn to Clemson when she asked him where he’d go if he had his pick, despite him having only three or four offers at the time.
“I was like, ‘Clemson, without a doubt,’” Cade said. “‘Do you know their head coach? Have you seen their program? It’s crazy.’”
Klubnik is listed as a pro-style quarterback on his 247Sports profile, but doesn’t necessarily want to be put into that box. There’s an assumption with pro-style quarterbacks, he said, that they can’t get out of the pocket. But dual-threat quarterbacks, he adds, are seen as runners first.
Klubnik, who is listed at 6-feet, 2 1/2 inches and 186 pounds, has made it clear he wants to throw first. He can scoot when he needs to — he runs the 200-meter dash and the 4×200-meter relay for Westlake’s track team — but prefers to rely on his arm.
Todd Dodge, who became Westlake’s coach in 2014, has coached for more than 30 years and produced nine quarterbacks who have been named Texas’ offensive player of the year. He was inducted into the Texas High School Hall of Fame in 2006. He’s a former head coach at North Texas and a former UT quarterback.
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Klubnik, he said, can contend with anyone.
“As accurate a guy as I’ve had. Flat-out put the ball on people,” Dodge said. “He put on a clinic in our cutups after the season on being very nimble in the pocket. He can reach all parts of the field, whether it has to happen with just pure arm strength or anticipation, he can get there.”
Klubnik first started getting recruiting attention toward the beginning of 2020, after his sophomore season, and around the time when Dodge sent schools a compilation of 191 snaps played by Klubnik. He wasn’t the full-time starter his sophomore season but had enough film from rotating reps to garner several Power 5 offers. Auburn, in February 2020, became the first SEC school to offer.
Klubnik’s defining moment on the field came at the end of his junior season when he led Westlake to a commanding 52-34 state championship victory against fellow power Southlake Carroll in January at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium.
Southlake Carroll is coached by Dodge’s son, Riley, and quarterbacked by Ohio State commit Quinn Ewers, the top prospect in the nation for the Class of 2022 who decommitted from Texas in October.
Klubnik, playing with a torn acromioclavicular (AC) joint in his throwing arm, put together what he called the “greatest game of my life” when he went 18-for-20 passing for 220 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. He accepted the game’s offensive MVP award in front of a crowd of 15,471.
“You never have to worry about Cade Klubnik,” Dodge said. “He was asked, ‘What do you think about your matchup with Quinn Ewers?’ … He said, ‘Frankly, I didn’t pay any attention to Quinn at all. I think he’s a fabulous player, but we weren’t on the same field at the same time, and I was needing to prepare for Southlake Carroll’s defense.’
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“I think that allowed him to have the kind of game from a mental standpoint that he had.”
Three days after the state championship, Texas A&M extended an offer, with Florida doing so the following week. By the time Clemson’s offer came through, Michigan and Penn State had jumped into the mix, as well.
Klubnik’s status as a big-armed quarterback who also can move bodes well for Clemson’s offense, which is heavy on run-pass option, designed by offensive coordinator Tony Elliott to give Tigers quarterbacks flexibility.
Touchdown, Chaparrals!! 👀
4-star QB Cade Klubnik keeps it himself to give @Westlake_Nation a 28-21 lead!#TXHSFB | @uiltexas | #UILonFSSW | #UILState pic.twitter.com/WVrIU9a0Un
— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) January 17, 2021
Dodge remembers a couple of throws Klubnik made last season that stand out.
“He made two throws this year, one in the second round of the playoffs and one in the fourth round of the playoffs, and they were both off schedule, turn someone loose right in his face,” Dodge said. “He used his pocket presence to step away, step up, step out, get out of the pocket, keep his eyes downfield and just throw a rocket on the move for about 25-yard gains where most people would have been sacked.”
The kid is special 💪🏾
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 17, 2021
Klubnik attended Clemson’s spring game April 3 and now turns his focus to the Elite 11 finals, another season of running track, his senior year of football and recruiting fellow prospects to join him at Clemson. His state championship showing caught the eye of Robert Griffin III, the NFL QB and 2011 Heisman Trophy winner from Baylor. Klubnik had Griffin’s attention again with his recent Elite 11 performance at Southlake Carroll, where he showed off his arm, legs, poise and accuracy.
Kid has it no denying it
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) April 18, 2021
Klubnik and Uiagalelei have also communicated. Swinney, of course, is staying in touch. He has since told Klubnik he thought of him often in the two weeks leading up to Clemson offering him and talked to his staff about him.
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“He said, ‘I would probably be a little bit sad if Cade didn’t end up coming to play here, because I like him so dang much,’’’ Klubnik said. “So, it’s been pretty fun to just really get to know him. I think we’re so alike.”
Check “Commit to Clemson” off the whiteboard.
(Top photo: Prentice C. James / Cal Sport Media via AP Images)
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