Cade Klubnik is one of five players with the most to prove in the 2024 college football season

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program have put a lot of faith in starting quarterback Cade Klubnik, but time is running out for the young quarterback to prove that the Tigers made the right decision by putting the offense in his hands.

Clemson was a mainstay in the College Football Playoff since its inception, but things changed after the 2020 season. One of college football’s best quarterbacks of all time, Trevor Lawrence, had moved on from the program and handed the keys to former Clemson starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. When things didn’t work out with Uiagalelei, Klubnik was next up, with sky-high expectations. 

Klubnik’s first season as the Tigers’ starting quarterback didn’t go as well as fans hoped, leaving the quarterback with a lot to prove. According to ESPN, he is one of five players in college football with the most to prove.

Fairly or not, DJ Uiagalelei carried the bulk of the blame for Clemson’s playoff absences in 2021 and 2022, so Tigers fans were eager to turn the page to Klubnik last season. The results, however, looked a lot more like the DJU era than the Trevor Lawrence era. Klubnik finished the season completing 64% of his throws with 19 TDs and nine interceptions to go with a Total QBR of 55, good for 11th out of 12 qualified ACC QBs. He flashed potential at times, but made frustrating decisions in losses to Duke, Florida State and NC State that overshadowed the intermittent success. Dabo Swinney brought in Matt Luke to rebuild the O-line, and Klubnik is entering his second year with offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. The clock feels like it’s ticking on Klubnik’s chances to prove he’s Clemson’s next star quarterback — and it may be ticking on the Tigers’ chances to return to the playoff, too. — Hale

It’s difficult to argue with this assessment of…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/cade-klubnik-one-five-players-203022710.html

Author : Clemson Wire

Publish date : 2024-02-16 20:30:22

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