Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik has taken his fair share of heat after Week 1 of the 2025 college football season.
The LSU Tigers went on the road and beat Clemson 17-10, marking LSU head coach Brian Kelly’s first season-opening victory with the program. Klubnik has taken much of the blame, as he completed 19 of 38 passes for 230 yards with one costly interception in the third quarter. He was also sacked twice in Memorial Stadium.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said that while he still sees potential in his quarterback, he admits Klubnik did not play at his best.
Cade Klubnik Addresses Dabo Swinney’s Concerns From LSU Loss
Klubnik was once considered a Heisman contender but was flustered by LSU’s pass rush and blitzes, which disrupted his timing and caused him to miss throws.
“He just didn’t play well. I can’t sugarcoat it,” Swinney said on Aug. 31. “ I didn’t have to tell him. He knew. He knows the game. He’ll respond. He’ll bounce back … Sometimes your best player can have a bad day. He’s not a freshman. He’ll respond. If our biggest issue is our best player didn’t play well, we’ll be alright.”
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on QB Cade Klubnik: “He just didn’t play well. I can’t sugarcoat it.” Says there were a number of times Klubnik missed his hot routes, scrambled when he didn’t need to. “Sometimes that happens when you haven’t played live ball in a while. He’ll be OK”
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) August 31, 2025
At Clemson’s media availability on Wednesday, Klubnik responded to Swinney’s comments and said he would use them as a learning opportunity.
“Yeah, you just gotta chin it and move on,” Klubnik said when asked about Swinney’s critiques of his recent play. “He’s the coach and he’s coaching so you’ve got to chin it, learn from it and move on.”
Christopher Vizzina and Trent Pearman are the other two quarterbacks listed on Clemson’s depth chart. Vizzina, a sophomore and Alabama native, threw for 190 yards in 2024 on 19 completions. Pearman, a junior and hometown product, saw action in 2024 against Appalachian State, NC State, and The Citadel.
Clemson backup QB Christopher Vizzina explains why he’s stayed loyal to the Tigers and stuck with the plan of being a backup for 3 years: “I love this place.” Says being able to learn from Cade Klubnik is a blessing pic.twitter.com/LKyHYW9JL2
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) August 19, 2025
The Tigers, Klubnik, and Swinney now turn their attention to their matchup against Troy on Saturday, Sept. 6.