"I'm a pretty loyal person": Clemson QB Cade Klubnik sheds light on decision to stay with the Tigers

In late December, Cade Klubnik decided to stay at the collegiate level for another year. The 2025 season will be the last one for the Clemson quarterback, and while he showed vast improvements in his second year as a starter, it seems Klubnik believes a third season as a starter will greatly improve his chances of making it to the NFL.

Speaking on Friday on the "Pure Athlete" podcast, the signal-caller gave his reasoning for staying with the Clemson Tigers for another season.

"I think that anybody who knows me, I feel like first of all, I'm a pretty loyal person," Klubnik said (6:30). "If you're on my side, I'm on your side till the end, and for me you know, I got the starting job, you know my freshman year in the ACC championship game, and obviously I was going to come back after that... I'm a returning starter, why would I leave?

"My sophomore year, I'm horrible... I needed another year to develop, I needed to get better... that was a tough year... I think one of the biggest things after my sophomore year was, which was exactly a year ago, was Coach (Dabo) 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.'

"When the head coach comes and tells you he believes in you after you had a not great year that kind of just flips something."

Cade Klubnik aims for a national championship in 2025

In the same interview, Klubnik said returning for his senior year was an easy decision to make, as the team looks to have several starters on offense returning for their senior year. He even set some lofty goals for the Tigers in 2025.

“I told Coach Swinney on the day that I committed that I'm coming to win a national championship," Klubnik said. "And that's something that's still sitting on the table for us. That's why I came back, and that's why I didn't leave... I love this place so much... The leap I took from my sophomore to my junior year, I want to double that leap and go take another one.”

In 2024 with Clemson, Clubnik had 3639 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also recorded 463 rushing yards with seven touchdowns in 119 carries.