Cade Klubnik is an experienced and productive college quarterback, and his scouting report looks at how productive he might be in the NFL.
Cade Klubnik 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Measurables:
Height- 6’2″
Weight- 207 lbs
Background:
Klubnik attended Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, where he was a five-star recruit and the No. 2-ranked quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. He helped lead his team to win back-to-back state titles as the starting quarterback and won the Gatorade Player of the Year in Texas. Klubnik committed to Clemson, where he was the backup quarterback in his first year with the team. He became the full-time starter the next season in 2023, finishing the season with 19 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions. Klubnik helped lead Clemson to an ACC Championship and College Football Playoff appearance in 2024, and earned Honorable Mention All-ACC honors. He finished the 2025 season with 2,934 passing yards and 16 passing touchdowns. Klubnik was named a William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist.
Strengths:
Klubnik has solid accuracy as a passer in the short and intermediate parts of the field. He throws the ball with good anticipation and is a natural touch passer who does a good job layering throws. In a clean pocket, Klubnik has good overall throwing mechanics. Clean footwork with a quick and smooth release. Klubnik also has good athleticism and mobility. He ran a 4.65 40-yard dash time at his pro day and went for 463 yards on the ground with seven rushing touchdowns in the 2024 season. He is a very effective quarterback on RPOs, and he does a decent job at taking care of the football and limiting turnovers.
Weaknesses:
Klubnik is an undersized quarterback ranking in the 32nd percentile in height and the ninth percentile in weight for the position, according to Mockdraftable. He has adequate arm strength overall, but Klubnik doesn’t consistently have ideal velocity on his passes. Klubnik needs to improve his ability to read the defense post-snap and his ability to go through progressions. When Klubnik is in a clean pocket, his mechanics are great, but he can become more inconsistent with his throwing mechanics both under pressure and on the run. Needs to improve his out-of-structure playmaking ability. He had incredible production in the 2024 season, but his production dropped in the 2025 season.
Potential Team Fits:
NFL Projection:
Klubnik is an undersized quarterback prospect with average arm strength and inconsistent out-of-structure playmaking ability. However, he is also a former five-star recruit with three years of experience as a full-time starter at a high level in college. Klubnik is a fairly accurate passer who throws the ball with great touch, is an experienced college quarterback, a good athlete for the position, and does an overall solid job at taking care of the football. Klubnik can be a solid backup quarterback in the NFL, and has enough upside to potentially develop into a serviceable starter at the next level if he continues to improve his ability to read defenses post-snap and go through progressions.
Prospect Grade:
Late Fourth Round/Early Fifth Round
Main Photo: Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
