Cade Klubnik Shifts His Attention to $275 Million NFL QB After Studying Patrick Mahomes
Cade Klubnik Shifts His Attention to $275 Million NFL QB After Studying Patrick Mahomes originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes experienced varying levels of team success when they played college football, but there were few doubts that both quarterbacks were ticketed for NFL stardom from a young age.
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Though Mahomes had a losing record in three years at Texas Tech, he threw for 5,052 yards and accounted for 53 total touchdowns in his final season as a Red Raider in 2016.
On the other hand, Burrow was richly rewarded for his stellar two-year tenure at LSU. Upon transferring from Ohio State, Burrow led the Tigers to a 15-0 record and a national championship in 2019, throwing for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy.
Burrow is now the Cincinnati Bengals' quarterback, a two-time Pro Bowler on a $275 million contract. The 28-year-old is lauded for his mechanics and his ability to make any throw -- he led the NFL in pass attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdown passes in 2024.
Clemson star Cade Klubnik, who shares quarterback coach Jordan Palmer with Burrow is hoping to become the first Tiger ever to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025. And he has made it a point to study Burrow in an attempt to reach that objective.
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"His ability to escape the pocket but remain a passer is something that I feel I can do pretty well," Klubnik told On3. "A lot of the same fundamentals that Jordan teaches us, (Burrow) does it very, very elite. I love to watch somebody who's better than me."
Klubnik also admitted to studying Mahomes and his calm, steady pocket presence, and he also had a surprise for reporters when he said he had been watching Bailey Zappe's 2021 season at Western Kentucky. Zappe, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, threw for an FBS record 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns in his one season as a Hilltopper.
"Last year, I studied senior year of Bailey Zappe, because he he had a great year. I wanted to improve my presence in the pocket, anticipation and just delivery. So I studied him," Klubnik explained. "I studied just the calmness and coolness of Patrick Mahomes in the pocket. So (I studied) those two guys, because that's something we want to get better at."
Klubnik, touted as a possible top overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is hoping that absorbing different qualities from elite quarterbacks will make him even better following his breakout 2024 season. If his bet pays off, Clemson could be celebrating more than just another College Football Playoff berth in 2025.
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Related: Dabo Swinney Flaunts Clemson Achievements Amid Changing College Football Landscape
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
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