Everything Jets fans need to know about Clemson QB Cade Klubnik

It's that time of year again. The NFL Draft, otherwise known as the New York Jets' annual Super Bowl, returns in just a handful of weeks. Every year, this is an adventure (an important one) within the walls of the $75 million Florham Park headquarters.

But this season is more important than most years. This season, the Jets might need their future franchise quarterback. This is a position the Jets have found themselves in every three to five years since Joe Namath left Broadway for Hollywood in 1977.

It's unclear if the Jets are sure to take a QB. What is clear is that they'll need one soon. And it appears likely they'll opt for one in this draft. So I'll be releasing a series of pieces evaluating the Jets' best options at that position.

Today, we'll conclude our breakdowns. We've already looked at Ty Simpson, Carson Beck, Taylen Green, Drew Allar, and Garrett Nussmeier. And now we'll transition to the western tip of South Carolina, where Cade Klubnik spent the past four seasons playing quarterback for Clemson University.

Cade Klubnik's Background

Klubnik comes from storied beginnings. Growing up in Austin, Texas, he wasn't just some student-athlete on some high school football team. No, Cade was following in the footsteps of alumni like Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles, and Drew Brees. And in the process, broke school records with 7,426 passing yards and 86 touchdowns.

In 2022, as the top QB in his class, the wonderkind committed to Clemson University, where he would spend all four collegiate seasons. A three-year starter producing consistent success, Klubnik will go down as one of Clemson's greatest quarterbacks behind names like Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson.

But in the scheme of the 2026 QB class, his profile is far less certain, and his status is far less secure. With the athleticism of a former track star (which he is), natural arm talent, and a proven winning background, there's a lot to like about the young Tiger. But with blatantly inadequate size and a disappointing last impression his senior year, there's a lot to pick apart with the former five-star.

Cade Klubnik's Pros

1. Speed

One thing Klubnik can do is run faster than almost anybody. While he's far from simply an athlete playing quarterback, he does possess rare agility for the position. And this should come as no surprise, given his high school history as a track standout running a 21.8-second 200m dash and 49.9-second 400m dash.

His 40-yard dash time followed suit. While official times vary by report, Klubnik boasted anywhere from a 4.57 to 4.65, which is excellent for a quarterback. At Clemson, his rushing attempts were limited slightly, but he still managed 588 yards on 5.9 per attempt with seven rushing touchdowns in his junior season. It's not his primary method of attack, but it's a weapon most don't have.

The elephant in the room is the fact that his ground production dropped off a cliff in his senior season. On 30 fewer attempts than the previous year, he averaged just 3.2 yards per attempt. His Pro Football Focus rushing grade dropped from a previous career average of 65.7 to an ugly 57.9. But Klubnik did battle ankle and quad issues. And his 40-time should indicate he still has his trademark speed.

I'd expect this to become a potent weapon for him at the next level. With an increase in designed runs and more creative zone running schemes at the pro level, he should be able to produce chunk yardage off the threat of the pass. And when he has open space to scramble, with time to really generate his cross-country stride... see you later.

2. Ability on the Play Action and RPOs

This should make a lot of sense given everything I said about his speed. But Klubnik can use his legs not only to produce yards on his own, but to keep defenses honest and make plays for his skill-position guys. He uses the benefit of additional time on RPOs to dissect defenses and make decisions. And the threat he poses as a runner himself makes it hard for linebackers and underneath safeties to commit to coverage vs containment.

This is why Klubnik fits the modern NFL offense. If he were forced to take five to seven steps and make immediate decisions within the pocket over opposing linemen collapsing toward him, he would never have a chance to succeed at a high level. But in today's offensive ecosystem, his archetype fits like a glove.

He's not Lamar Jackson. At the end of the day, his running won't be his primary weapon. He's going to have to be a high-level passer. But if done right, his footwork has the potential to grow into an elite secondary tool.

3. Zip on tight passes

Klubnik's arm isn't the best of his class. He's not your "make every single throw" kind of guy. He has adequate arm strength and pro-touch. But he's not going to drop any jaws with his distance at the next level. He's not going to rifle moon shots into the night sky the way Joe Flacco used to when hunting pass-interference flags. He isn't going to fall off platform and deliver an incomprehensible 70-yard dime as we've seen out of the Pat Mahomes and Josh Allen's of the world.

Where he does win, though, is fitting balls in tight spaces in the middle of the field. With the opportunity to make straight-line passes to receivers, he delivers accurate tosses where many quarterbacks would typically shy away. When he's planting his feet in these situations, he can also generate some real velocity as well.

He has the talent to pick apart the middle of the field, exploiting linebackers who get caught up in coverage or DBs who thought they had their man shadowed before a ball sails just past their fingertips into the receiver's chest. You can't teach that accuracy, and you can't teach velocity. That, parlayed with his footwork and speed, makes for a very good modern-day quarterback.

Cade Klubnik's Cons

1. Size

This doesn't require much explanation or discussion. All it takes is a quick Google search. Or, just watch his film. The kid is small for his position. There's no two ways about it. He stands at 6'2 1/4 inches (to me, it looks like that 1/4 inch is generous). He weighed in at 207 pounds (those extra seven pounds feel equally generous).

His measurables aren't ideal, and his frame is even less ideal. He's not only confirmably small, but he looks and even plays small at times. He isn't a kid with a good frame to grow into. He is what he is, and what that is, is not an imposing specimen who towers over the line of scrimmage.

No, Klubink is a shorter guy who will have to follow in the footsteps of Russel Wilson, who learned to excel despite his obvious physical shortcomings.

2. Composure under pressure

The way to throw Klubnik off his game is to speed him up. He has pretty solid numbers when blitzed, holding up well last season with a commendable 77.8 PFF pass-grade in those situations. So that's not how you do it. How you do it is generate pressure from the interior line up the middle. When the pressure quickly caves in his pocket, and he has to decide to force a pass, throw it away, or run, he is prone to making mistakes.

He's good on the play action and RPO, as discussed, so it's not that his footwork is inherently poor. But those situations are designed where he has control. When he's forced to scramble, figuratively and literally, he makes mistakes. He uses the run-pass-option to buy himself time. When he's using his legs because he's running out of time, he struggles to process and react efficiently.

3. Arm strength on deep balls

Inside the numbers, as discussed, Klubnik can deliver dimes with a respectable mph. But when he has to lift balls outside the numbers down the field, he's lacking on the next-level arm talent. It's one thing to deliver passes on a line. It's another thing to drop them in a bucket with arch and distance. He's not the best friend of a receiver who thrives in "go up and get it" jump-ball scenarios. He's also a friend to a downfield burner with breakaway speed.

He'll be limited to the middle of the field and short-to-medium passes outside the numbers. This doesn't mean he can't succeed at a high level. But it does mean there is a ceiling on the kind of plays he can make.

QB Value Score

I've developed a statistic to score young quarterbacks. I took the statistics and Pro Football Focus grades I value most and consolidated them into a single number. There are 13 metrics. From most crucial to least, they are as follows (I'll also include Klubnik's numbers for each metric/grade).

	Metric	Statistic
13	Passing Grade	77.4
12	Adjusted Completion %	77.6
11	Big Time Throw %	3.8
10	Adjusted Turnover Worthy Plays (100 - TWP%)	2.2% (97.8)
9	Adjusted Pressure to Sack % (100 - P2S%)	11.6 (88.4)
8	Rush Grade	57.9
7	Passing Grade when Pressured	62.6
6	Passing Grade when Blitzed	77.8
5	Passing Grade on Deep Passes	88.6
4	Passing Grade on Medium Passes	79.7
3	Passing Grade on Short Passes	73.3
2	Adjusted Time to Throw (4- TTT)	2.71 (1.29)
1	Average Depth of Target	8.4

All you have to do is multiply each metric by its corresponding number. Then add them and carry your decimal two places to the left. That provides you with your Quarterback Value (QBV). You can typically expect this number to be between 40 and 70.

QBV: 61.14

The numbers are all around really solid for Klubnik. He actually finished with the highest QBV of all six quarterbacks I evaluated. He holds up well against the blitz. He keeps turnover-worthy plays to a minimum. He provides an above-average running threat for a QB. And within 50 yards, he can make high-level plays at all three levels.

The eye test, to me, isn't kind to Klubnik. There are those "wow" moments where his speed really takes you by surprise. He's efficient with his passing and has noticeably clean footwork. But he also doesn't take well to pressure in his face, and fails to take the top off defenses in any capacity. He looks like a solid QB at best.

But the numbers suggest he's far better than that, even during a "down" season.

Cade Klubnik Final Evaluation & Grade

I rely on a combination of metric-driven analysis, results-based statistics, and the old-fashioned eye test to evaluate quarterbacks. After considering all factors, below is my final prospect grade, along with some pro comparisons ranging from the most realistic scenario to the absolute ceiling.

FINAL GRADE: C+

COMPS: Zach Wilson, Ryan Tannehill, Jalen Hurts, Russell Wilson

At the end of the day, I don't love his size, frame, or arm ceiling. But I cannot deny the numbers, either. For this reason, I see significant variance in Klubnik's potential outcomes. I see a (cover your ears, Jets fans) Zach Wilson fate for him, but I also see a Pro-Bowl level fate for him. He's a hard guy to pin down.

I would say the Jets should steer clear of Klubnik until at least the 4th round. He's high-risk/high-reward to me. And the Jets should have no appetite for high-risk right now.

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