Where Does Former Clemson QB Cade Klubnik Rank Among NFL Backups?

It hasn't even been two months since the New York Jets drafted former Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, yet he's already being included in talks around the league.

On Thursday, Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano released his ranking for the NFL's 32 Backup QBs of 2026. He slated Klubnik for the last spot on the list, which may not sound too great, but you need to understand the reasoning behind it before you reach that conclusion.

As mentioned, the dual-threat signal caller was drafted to the Jets in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft after an illustrious career with the Clemson Tigers that saw him finish with 10,123 passing yards (third-most in program history) and 73 passing touchdowns (fourth-most) across 49 career games (most by a Clemson QB ever).

However, that didn't mean he would automatically become the backup. He would still have to fight for the spot with veteran backup Bailey Zappe and former Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook, who was a rookie last season.

While head coach Aaron Glenn said last week that Zappe is the No. 2 quarterback on the board behind Geno Smith, he made clear there's still an "open competition" for the role, and Manzano predicts that Klubnik will be the guy for the job when it's all said and done.

"I predict that Klubnik will win the QB2 job this summer, and it bodes well that he's already received praise from Smith for the way he prepares throughout the week," Manzano said. "Most teams would rather not have a rookie fourth-rounder as the backup QB, but the Jets likely wouldn't mind seeing what they have in Klubnik before next year's loaded QB draft class."

A lot of Jets fans took notice of his confidence and professionalism in his first couple of press conferences with the team, which isn't anything new to fans who watched him at Clemson. Then, recently, he began to impress on the field. In 7-on-7s last week, he had a perfect day, going 12-for-12 on passes. While the unfinished product hasn't had a day like that since, the potential is there.

Rookie QB Cade Klubnik went 4/4 during his 1st turn of 7-on-7, then went 4/4 in 11-on-11, & then went 4/4 AGAIN in 7-on-7❗👀

12 for 12

Perfect day 🎯#Jets | h/t @ZackBlatt pic.twitter.com/XP5WwgljSY
— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) May 28, 2026

At the end of the day, this ranking deserves some broader context. Klubnik may sit at the bottom of the list, but he's a rookie who was drafted just over a month ago, is still competing for the backup spot, and is being measured against quarterbacks with real NFL experience. On top of that, Manzano himself is already predicting he will win the job.

For Clemson and Jets fans alike, the number at the end of the list matters far less than the trajectory behind it.

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