Dabo Swinney's faith in QB Cade Klubnik has paid off as No. 4 Clemson eyes national title run
He heard the chatter around him, about how he simply wasn't good enough to be the starting quarterback for the Clemson Tigers. He heard fans clamoring for coach Dabo Swinney to tap the transfer portal and find a quality replacement.
It was all coming to a head after Klubnik's sophomore season in 2023, a year in which the Tigers struggled early but closed with five straight wins to finish 9-4. While that might be considered a good season for some schools, it was a down year for Clemson, snapping a streak of 12 straight double-digit win seasons and leaving the Tigers out of the College Football Playoff for the second straight year.
There were questions about whether Clemson's run was over, and much of the blame fell on Klubnik's shoulders after throwing just 19 touchdown passes with nine interceptions that season.
'Everybody kind of told me I sucked, and wasn't very good,' Klubnik said. 'A lot of people wanted me out of Clemson.'
About two weeks after the Tigers' 38-35 win over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl, Klubnik was still relatively uncertain about his status at Clemson and that's when Swinney called Klubnik into his office and put any speculation about his future to rest.
As he sat across from Klubnik, Swinney told him directly: 'I believe in you.'.
'To have somebody that I look up to and believe in, tell me that he believes in me, it just filled me with confidence,' Klubnik said. 'He could have gone and done what a lot of other coaches would do (and find a transfer quarterback), but he didn't.''
Klubnik called it a moment in life he'll never forget. He left Swinney's office more confident than ever, and eager to reward his coach for the faith he showed in him. And he did just that.
Klubnik piled up more than 4,000 yards from scrimmage and 42 touchdowns last season while leading Clemson to its eighth ACC championship in 10 years with an MVP performance that included four touchdowns in a dramatic 34-31 win over SMU in the title game. The victory assured the Tigers a return to the playoff, where they lost 38-24 to Texas in the first round.
Now Klubnik enters his final season at Clemson as a likely Heisman Trophy candidate and the fourth-ranked Tigers are expected to compete for a national championship.
'When you sign up to do this, whether you're a coach at this level or certainly play the quarterback position, there's a lot of criticism,' Swinney said. 'I just knew there was going to be a lot of noise. He's a young person and I just felt like it was important that I let him know that that I fully believed in him. I didn't want him worrying about me going out and getting another guy. I wanted him to know, hey, you're my guy.'
Added Swinney, 'I told him if it don't work out, then I'm going down with you.'
Swinney has been around college football for more than three decades and has won two national titles at Clemson, so he knows a thing or two about player development. He said one of the most difficult parts of coaching college football in today's world is having the patience to develop a quarterback while remaining competitive.
Swinney saw enough in Klubnik after his sophomore season to believe he had plenty of potential.
'You know, this is a developmental game,' Swinney said. 'We forget that because now we're in this world where if you're not great as a freshman it's, oh well, you stink. And then you move on to the next guy.'
Tigers wide receiver Antonio Williams, who figures to be Klubnik's primary target in the passing game, said off the field his quarterback is 'kind of laid back and goofy.' But Williams said Klubnik was all business last season.
'He's definitely growing up a lot,' Williams said. 'When it comes to leadership, he's definitely been more vocal and he has the respect of all the guys in the locker room. So when he speaks, everybody listens. That respect has gone a long way for him.'
Swinney called Klubnik an 'amazing human being' and he continues to believe in him, perhaps on a run to the Tigers' first national title since 2018.
'He's got a lot of great days ahead,' Swinney said. 'And you need a little luck, you know. I know everybody wants to make all these predictions and things like that, but you predict your way in anything. You gotta go do it. I know this if if that guy stays healthy, we will have a chance. He's gonna always give you a chance.'
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