Cade Klubnik Gives Dabo Swinney High Praise Following Final Clemson Game

Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik’s collegiate career may be over, but that’s not stopping how he speaks about his head coach, Dabo Swinney.

Klubnik and Swinney shared an emotional press conference following Clemson’s loss to Penn State in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday afternoon, featuring tears and hugs between the two. Klubnik was asked about the leadership of Swinney over his career after the game, giving a powerful answer.

The Austin, Texas, native began, but had to stop and give himself a moment, being overcome with emotion. Then, a deep breath and an emphatic response.

“My favorite coach I’ve ever had,” Klubnik said. “Just really thankful for him. Just thankful for the way that he’s always been the same person. I think that one of the biggest things that I admire in somebody is consistency and being able to speak the truth.”

Swinney and his quarterback’s relationship is something bigger outside of football. The two have growth their faith over the last four years together, and that has allowed Klubnik to strive to be the best person and football player that he could be under his head coach.

Klubnik said that Swinney’s demeanor, regardless of where the team is, never changes, admiring that leadership.

“The best thing that I admire about coach Swinney and something that I try to live after is he’s the exact same person every single day,” he said, “and it doesn’t matter if we’re coming off a day like this, if we’re coming off an ACC Championship.”

Whatever day it is, he’s bringing the exact same person. I try to do that,” Klubnik continued. "I try to show up and be the best person and show up and fight and just push to be the best me that I can be, because I want to be the best Cade that I can be because of him.”

It allowed the three-year starting quarterback to leave no regrets over the course of his career. It starts from the top, with Swinney, who took a chance on him in early 2021 to play for his football program. Now, he leaves the program at the end of 2025 with every opportunity taken advantage of.

“I feel like I’ve done everything I can to try to be the best that I can be,” Klubnik said, “and I get to leave this place with a smile on my face because of that. . .to have a man and a leader that has not wavered and has not changed is the reason that I keep coming back every single day and every year.”

While he didn’t end up winning that national championship, Klubnik helped bring a College Football Playoff appearance and two ACC Championships back to the Upstate. While some of those goals may not have been achieved by the Clemson starting quarterback, he will be remembered for the leader that he was and how he brought up others in the program.

He thanks Swinney for all of those possibilities, as he heads to the NFL to be a hopeful early draft pick.

“When coach Swinney FaceTimed me at my house, and I was home alone, and FaceTimed me and offered me, I didn’t think the next four years would look like this, but it did,” Klubnik said. ‘But I’m so thankful for it."

“It’s been even better than I could have ever imagined.”