‘I Believe in You’: How Swinney’s Trust Fueled Klubnik’s Confidence

The Clemson Tigers head coach has gone out of his way to build the confidence of his star quarterback

The Clemson Tigers QB had his head coach fully behind him | ALEX HICKS / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Heading into the season projected as a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, after posting one of the best passing years in Clemson Tigers history, Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik appears to have the world in his hands.

Despite his recent success, the former five-star recruit has stayed grounded and introspective. During ACC Media Day, Klubnik reflected on a time when he wasn’t so popular among fans, specifically during Clemson’s rocky 2023 season, when the team finished 9-4 and went just 4-4 in ACC play.

After the tough stretch, Klubnik credited head coach Dabo Swinney’s unwavering support for keeping his confidence intact.

“After my sophomore year, when everybody kind of told me I sucked and wasn't very good, a lot of people wanted me out of Clemson. Coach Swinney pulled me into his office and told me, Cade, I believe in you, and let's go to work,” Klubnik said. “For somebody that I look up to and believe in tell me that, that he believes in me, just filled me with confidence. When he could have gone and done what a lot of other coaches would do, but he didn't and pulled me in tight and said I believe in you, I'll never forget that moment.”

Last season, Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions (second-most touchdowns in a season, third-most in FBS) while leading Clemson to the first round of the College Football Playoff. 

He also proved his ability to rise to the occasion against top-tier competition, something he was criticized for before last season. Klubnik threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns in the College Football Playoff against No. 5 Texas after throwing for 262 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in Clemson’s ACC Championship win over SMU.

Heading into his senior season, Klubnik explained that going through hard times has made him a stronger leader and a better football player overall. He also expects the team’s overall leadership to be one of their biggest strengths heading into the season.

“I think it starts with the leadership we have. We have really good leadership all around. That's kind of our mentality, man. We've been through the fire. We've been through it, and we've stuck together,” Klubnik said. “That's the biggest thing, is we've stuck together and come out the other side and just continually trying to persevere and go be the best we can be.”

Now entering his season year, he already ranks among the top five in program history for career passing yards (7,180) and passing touchdowns (57).

And he’ll have plenty of support around him as he heads into the season with four graduate starters on the offensive line who’ve combined for 120 career starts, along with two wide receivers considered among the best in the country.

According to Klubnik, the team’s experience (especially compared to recent years) will be what sets them apart.

“We've been a young team, I feel like, every year I've been here. We're a veteran team and very experienced, got a lot of guys that have played a lot of ball,” Klubnik said. “That's really exciting, but we've got to go do it. We've got to go do it and take advantage of every opportunity we get.”

Confidence is an important trait for any football player, but awareness might be just as valuable. Klubnik’s ability to reflect and put his career into perspective suggests that the Tigers have a mature signal-caller who’s ready to help this team contend for a National Championship.